Rio: The Heist Updated
by Firehound427
Summary: An updated version of my first fanfic. With new scenes and new characters, this is going to be one great story, with two Chargers, a bank vault and some tow rope coming together to make one of the best heists Rio has ever seen!
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

For the celebration of 6 months since I created my account on this site. As a reward for my fans, I have decided to remaster my first and most popular fic, Rio: The Heist. I'm planning on improving this story and making it the fic I may be most remembered for. Without further ado, let's go!

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><p>Rio De Janeiro<p>

Blu Bird Sanctuary

4:19am

He crept through shadows, constantly checking corners and also checking behind him. Seeing no-one, he gave a thumbs up to his colleague, before pulling down his mask. Quickly running past the empty control room, he slid into the artificial forest.

Checking his perimeter to make sure he wasn't being followed, he checked the suppressor on his Mk. 23 pistol. He had no intention of firing on his intended targets, but it never hurt to make sure. Sneaking through the forest, and being careful not to make any kind of sound, he sneaked up to the first tree. Climbing up, he reached in and extracted a sleeping Toco Toucan, before putting it in a bag and sealing it. He then moved onto a second tree where a Red Crested Cardinal and a Yellow Canary were resting. He took the Cardinal and put it in another bag. He then carefully took out the Canary, making sure to keep his bottle cap on his head so as to not spook him.

The man then moved onto the final tree. Climbing up, his eyes fell on two Spix's Macaws, both fast asleep. He studied how one was a beautiful azure blue female with neat feathers, and how the other was an indigo blue male who looked scruffy in comparison. He decided to take the scruffy one first. Reaching out a gloved hand, he gently grabbed the male macaw and carefully put him in a final bag. Unfortunately, at that time, the female woke up, noticed the male's disappearance, and focused her blue eyes on the masked man at the entrance of their hollow. She suddenly shot out of the tree, with the man sliding down to start his pursuit.

Another man noticed the escapee, and rushed into the artificial forest to help his colleague. He was carrying a cage, and had a ghillie suit on, similar to the ones worn by snipers. He lay down prone in the vegetation, watching the space in front of him. When he saw the macaw, who was looking back, he quickly got up and held a cage in front of the macaw. She flew straight into the cage, and the man shut the door. He high fived his colleague.

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><p>From there, it was simply a case of getting out, which was ridiculously easy with the non-existent security, and getting to the Volkswagen Touareg SUV which was their transport. Mission accomplished, they drove to a building, where they were waved inside. They got out, with one of the men carrying the bags into a plush office.<p>

"Reyes." He called. "I have the birds."

"Good Zizi." The man in the office chair swivelled around. "You will be rewarded for your efforts. Are they alive?"

"Yes."

"Then they shall join the Sulphur Crested Cockatoo and the two Canadian Geese in the vault. Not even God himself will be able to get at those birds." A smirk formed on his face...

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><p>20th Century Fox presents:<p>

A Blue Sky Studios production

In association with Dodge Automobiles,

The Policia Do Rio De Janeiro,

The Blu Bird Sanctuary,

Master Derek,

Chickweed001,

Sierra Strike,

Chrispy132,

And WolfOnFyre

**RIO: THE HEIST**

Directed by Firehound427

Starring:

Tom Fortnell

Linda Gunderson

Tulio Montero

Blu

Jewel

Nico

Pedro

Rafael

Chloe

Alice

Nigel

Fernando Mata-Alan

Anthony Brown

Margaret

Captain Sierra

Captain Weston

Captain Bell

Doc

Saito Kenji Hayato

Seth

George Kong

and Stefano Alonso

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><p>Disclaimer: I do not own anything but Tom Fortnell, my OC. Dodge Automobiles belongs to Chrysler Group LLC, Rio and its characters belong to Blue Sky Studios, and other original characters belong to their creators. All rights reserved for whatever brand name product is referred to.<p>

If you want to join in, here's a few links for you:

wwwdotfanfictiondotnet/s/6990303/1/Rio_The_Heist

The original story, which will remain for reference and for original fans to compare.

wwwdotfacebookdotcom/pages/Tom-Fortnell/140823469350666

Tom Fortnell's Facebook page, which will get updated with story events.

forumdorfanfictiondotnet/topic/90034/51855301/1/

The official forum thread for this story. Your one stop shop for information, discussion and OC requests.

wwwdotfanfictiondotnet/u/2916176/Firehound427

My profile page.

You will get credited if your OC is featured, so don't be afraid to ask!

That's all for this chapter, but next time, we will join the other side as they pick up the pieces. Until next time, don't forget to leave a review!


	2. Chapter 2: Cristo Redentor

Next chapter! Sorry if this was a long wait, but I decided to release this chapter to coincide with a special event for motor racing. You'll see it at the end of this chapter.

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><p>It was a sunny day in Rio. A man aged 31 years old was walking through the market place. He was tall,with black hair and brown eyes. He had a military look to him. He was currently wearing a grey shirt, camo trousers and a holster with a Colt M1911 .45 handgun in it. His name was Tom Fortnell.<p>

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><p>Born and raised in Orlando, Florida, he was a bright guy, and had joined the US Army when he was 21. In 2006, he became an Army Ranger, and one of the best ones at that. Cpt. Fortnell accepted an offer to join the elite Task Force 141, an international task force comprised of the best special ops soldiers in the world, in 2007. Taking part in several missions, it was during the manhunt for the terrorist Makarov in Tokyo that Fortnell saved the lives of two Japanese policewomen.<p>

After leaving the military, he joined the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. Becoming one of the best officers in the force, he was a force to be reckoned with, and criminals would wet themselves at the sight of his distinctive black 2009 Camaro 2SS. He served a 3 year term with the Bokuto precinct, before leaving in 2010. At the dawn of 2011, he decided to take the next plane to Rio De Janeiro. After arriving, he managed to get a job with the local bird sanctuary. There, he discovered his unusual ability to speak with, and understand the birds. He also met 2 of his new friends, Blu and Jewel, a pair of Spix's Macaws. After saving them multiple times, he earned their trust and they have been friends since. He also met other carnival loving birds, Nico, Pedro and Rafael, and he even made a new enemy, Nigel. He now works at the Blu Bird Sanctuary along with Linda and Tulio, and frequently cares for the birds.

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><p>Tom was now walking through the market. Noticing a tarp, he lifted it up. After that, he started speaking to the birds.<p>

"Hi guys! How's the Branch going?"

"Alright." replied Kipo, the Roseate Spoonbill who frequented the club.

"You guys seen Blu or Jewel?"

"Nope. Not yet."

"Hmm. Weren't they scheduled to perform here today?"

"That is correct."

"How about Nico or Pedro?"

"No as well."

"That's strange. They practically spend half their lives here."

"Yep. So what do you think is going on?"

"I dunno" answered the ex-cop, "but I think I'll go now."

"OK, bye!" shouted the birds in the club. Lowering the tarp, Tom walked to a newspaper stand. Handing over 50 centavos to the cashier, he picked up a copy of The Rio Times. While heading towards his parked 1970 Dodge Charger, he was thinking about the mystery. "That's pretty strange. Nico and Pedro are almost always at the Branch. And Blu and Jewel are legends at that club, and wouldn't miss the chance to perform there. It's all very weird." Climbing inside the '70 Charger, he opened the newspaper. "In the news today" he read out loud, "Italy MPs endorse austerity law, Sebastien Loeb wins eighth world rally championship in a row, and...' Tom stopped at the article on page four. He scanned the article, bit his tongue to make sure he wasn't dreaming, and muttered "my god, this can't be happening."

The article looked like this:

BIRDS CAPTURED

"Today, there is a major amount of shock as a number of birds have been stolen. The theft took place at the Blu Bird Sanctuary late last night. It is believed that the priority targets were a pair of Spix's Macaws. A number of birds were also taken. These birds included a Yellow Canary, a Red-crested Cardinal, a Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, a Toco Toucan and two Canada Geese. Police have reason to believe Hernan Reyes, a known bird smuggler masterminded the crime. Reyes may be selling the birds off to the highest bidder, as these birds are rare, valuable, and the Blue Macaws are among the last of their species on Earth." Getting out of the black Charger, he quickly made his way to the Branch. Lifting up the tarp once more, the birds inside turned to face him.

"Any news?" asked one of the avians in the crowd.

Tom replied "I'm afraid we have ourselves a bird napping."

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><p>Rushing to the Charger, Tom jumped inside, and fired up the massive engine. He threw the car in gear, and left two big black skidmarks leading from the market down onto the main street, the roar of the engine quickly fading into the distance. Tom didn't stop until he reached the sanctuary, slid the car to a stop, got out and rushed into the main building.<p>

"You guys OK?" He asked.

"Well, yes" Tulio answered, "apart from a missing Macaw and a crying Linda. Yes, we're alright." The ornithologist quickly called for Jewel to come. Giving it a minute, he noticed the female Macaw didn't come. "What gives?" Tom handed them the newspaper.

"Cheese and sprinkles... Them too?" Linda asked. Tom nodded in confirmation.

"Well guess what? I knew that leaving them with no security was a bad idea. And don't bother telling me you appointed me as security. I had other things to tend to. Now let's go and see if we can get some intel."

Later on in the day, they had done a headcount. This had confirmed their suspicions. Blu, Jewel, Nico, Pedro and Rafael were missing. Eva had reacted tearfully at the disappearance of her husband, but Tom knew better than to hang around the toucan too long. He didn't know how his special ops training would work when the 17 toucan children came at him. Meanwhile, Linda asked if anyone had seen any Blue Macaws, knowing that Blu and Jewel were the last ones alive. Some had seen Scarlet Macaws, but no Spix's Macaws. Tulio was looking for a canary with a bottlecap hat, and a samba loving Cardinal, but he had no luck either.

"Well that sucks." Linda said once they were seating in Tom's Charger. "Where are we going to check now?"

"Well it says in the newspaper that Hernan Reyes is one of the prime suspects." Tom answered.

"Hey, isn't he one of the most renowned bird smugglers in South America?" Tulio questioned.

"That's the one." Tom replied. "And it looks like he's hit the big one, the last Spix's Macaws that we know of, plus a few other choice birds. He'll make a tidy profit out of them." Suddenly, they saw a small boy approach the massive Dodge.

"Hey guys! How's it going?" Fernando shouted.

"Not good." Tom replied "Hernan Reyes. Yeah, the smuggler guy. He's struck again. Blu, Jewel, Nico, Pedro, Rafael, plus a few other birds. All captured. He's possibly planning to sell them off for a massive profit."

Fernando was visibly shocked at the news. But Tom was thinking. "You know the warehouse down near Botafogo? Warehouse 212? Come meet me there. I have a plan..."

* * *

><p>Please take a moment to read this author's note.<p>

The day of this update, 16th November 2011, marks one month since IndyCar racer Dan Wheldon died in a fiery crash at Las Vegas speedway. He was in the running to win a $2.5 million cash prize as a non-regular driver for a challenge, and had started from the back on October 16th, when on lap 11, he was involved in a 15 car pile up. He succumbed to his injuries the same day. The race was canceled and the remaining drivers whose cars could still drive did a 5 lap tribute to the lost Brit.

This incident really touched me. As a result, I dedicate this chapter to Dan Wheldon's memory, and hope that his loss will help prevent other drivers from crossing their life's finish line too soon.

Dan Wheldon

IndyCar Racer

22nd June 1978-16th October 2011

Rest In Peace


	3. Chapter 3: The Perfect Crew

Here's the next chapter. If this took so long, sorry, but this is what I'm hoping to be a chapter that is a big improvement over the original.

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><p>"So." Tom said while he was working on the engine of his 1970 Charger. "What is it you want to know about me?" He looked up to the beautiful Blue and Gold Macaw sitting on the roof of the Charger.<p>

"What did you do before coming here?" Margaret asked.

"Well, I was a cop in Tokyo." Tom replied. "Massive city in Japan. Far away from here. I was assigned to the Bokuto Precinct as a traffic cop. That meant enforcing the law on the road, helping motorists, and big slidey car chases. All of which appealed to me. My car was initially a blue 2006 Pontiac GTO. OK, so it wasn't Japanese, but it suited me." Tom twirled a spark plug in his fingers.

"When that got wrecked, I didn't fret. I had served its purpose. It lasted me until Chevrolet brought out the new Camaro. I got one of the first 50 off the line and imported it to Japan. It was a nice one. A black 2SS with a 426 horsepower Corvette V8. Sweet."

"Oh." Margaret confirmed. "Did you know some friends there?"

"Yeah." Tom fitted the spark plug back into the engine. "Kobayakawa, Tsujimoto, Nakajima... They were great officers. And another person as well. Ken..."

"Ken?"

"Saito Kenji Hayato." Tom replied. "I gotta admit, that guy was quite like me. He was an ex-army soldier who was into cars and weapons. I've still got his number, in case of emergency."

"So back to today." Margaret changed the subject. "Why are you here?"

"Because some birds were stolen." Tom immediately said. He could tell the realization in the macaw's face.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Couple of Spix's, a Canary, Cardinal, Toucan... Margaret?"

"Someone's here." Tom turned around to find a 1970 Nissan Skyline 2000GT-R had rolled into the warehouse. Tulio and Linda stepped out.

"You're here!" Tom shouted. "Welcome to my base of operations!" Tulio and Linda looked around.

"What makes a guy like you set up shop in a place like this?" Linda asked.

"Well, after a bit of an expedition throughout Rio De Janeiro, I sorted out two potential buildings. This, and Luiz's automobile garage."

"Just out of interest, what was in that garage?" Tulio questioned.

"Ah, well, not a lot of light, but a lot of wrecks, a cluttered floor and a massive, slobbering bulldog." The Brazilian ornithologist and the American librarian held faces of disgust at the last item. "So I came here, and set up shop. It's got everything. A planning area." He pointed to the blackboard and table, "A sort of garage," He pointed at the lifts, jacks and toolboxes, " and a training area." His finger pointed towards the obstacle course.

"That's good and all, but I still don't see how this is going to get those birds back." That was Linda.

"That's because it won't. We need a base of operations, as we're not going in and freeing those birds today." At that he motioned for them to sit down at the table. "I've thought up of a meticulous plan that will give us the birds, and will give the police their man. As far as I know, they've been searching for Hernan Reyes for a while."

"So when does this operation start?" asked Tulio.

"Officially, it will start in two day's time. But, as far as we're concerned, this operation has already started. Right now, I'm going off to get some assistance."

* * *

><p>Jewel was panting. She did not know where they were. All she knew is that she had to get away. All of a sudden, she was locked inside a cage. And the door shut with a clang... The female Blue Macaw woke with a scream. She panted heavily, but did not know if she had woken, or if the dream had simply evaporated. It was so dark. And she was so scared.<p>

"I think I'll just snuggle with this feathery object..."

"That's my tail. Now who does that beautiful voice belong to? Oh, that must be Jewel!" Blu said.

"Oh Blu, you're OK!" Jewel answered.

"Well yes. Except that I was captured along with you, and locked inside who knows what."

"So this isn't a dream..."

"It's so dark and scary in here," Nico said, "and I think I'll try to calm myself down. Somehow." With that, he started to whistle the tune to Fly Love.

"Nico? Is that you?" Pedro asked.

"Pedro? Oh thank goodness you're alright." Nico replied.

"Count me lucky as well." Said Rafael, "But I guess I won't be back in time for dinner."

"At least we're alive." replied Blu. "But it's so dark in here, it's pitch black. I can't see a thing in here. And I bet no one else can as well." With that, he tried to get up, only to bash into Rafael's beak. "Ow." He was knocked down. Trying to get back up, he bashed into Rafael's beak again. "Ow!"

"Yep." That was Pedro. "And now I'm gonna bust this thing like a soda can." Pedro and Nico commenced hurling themselves at the wall. But there was only some deep metallic clangs, and the two birds had to stop before they got a splitting headache.

"Whew, that's one tough cage." Nico said.

"That's because it's not a cage." Blu replied. "I studied this at Linda's back in Minnesota, and from the sound profile, it appears we're in a bank vault." Suddenly, a voice rang out. A familiar voice.

"Well, is that who I think it is?" Questioned Alice.

"It is! Our favourite nerd bird from Moose Lake!" Replied Chloe.

"Really? You guys as well?" Blu questioned. "Oh wow, I'm locked up with my tormentors from the USA. There is absolutely no way this can get any worse!"

"I beg to differ"

"N-n-Nigel?" Jewel asked shakingly.

"Yes. Don't ask me how, but I got captured along with you pretty birds. And now I'm locked inside this vault. With the same birds that HUMILIATED me weeks ago." Nigel said with an emphasis on humiliated.

"Now listen, you crazy Cockatoo. I'd claw your eyes out." Jewel threatened, "but I can't see a darn thing in here."

"You'd be lucky to get that far before I rip every single one of your bright blue feathers out of your pretty body." Replied Nigel.

"Cut it out guys." Rafael intervened. "I understand that we're all in the same cage, or vault, and that some of our cellmates are not exactly on good terms with us, but this is not the best time for a civil war. Remember, united we stand, divided we fall."

"Yes." Added Blu, "And if we all fall out, none of us are going to get out of here and into the daylight in one piece."

* * *

><p>Tom was just outside the police station. Composing himself, he went inside. There was a man sitting at the desk in front of him. He was in his forties, with a big build and tanned skin. Tom could pick out the items he had on his desk: a police badge, a cup of coffee and a Glock 17 handgun with three magazines.<p>

"Have a seat." He said. "Diego Lima, chief of Rio Military police."

"Tom Fortnell." Tom shook his hand. "I have come to talk about a recent theft from a bird sanctuary."

"Go ahead."

"We have reason to believe Hernan Reyes was behind the thefts. And I have drawn up a plan to get those birds back."

"You're bold." Diego's frown quickly turned into a smile. "I like that. What do you need?"

"I need two police cars, and the police department's co-operation."

"OK. Anything that will put Reyes where he belongs." Diego shook Tom's hand.

Later, Tulio and Linda heard some engines, and turned around to find two 2009 Dodge Charger SRT-8 police cars pull into their warehouse.

"Nice." Was all Tulio had to say.

Tom shook the hands of each of the police officers, then sat down at the table.

"So what's the plan?" Linda asked.

"A high stakes heist." Tom answered. "Fast cars, big gunfights, true Fast and Furious stuff." Tulio nodded in appreciation. "Here's how we're going to do it." He held up a file on Reyes he had collected in his visit to the police station.

"We're going to steal Reyes' birds." Tom spoke with a noticeable smirk on his face. "All of them."

"We can take them into our care." Tulio responded. "New lives, no more looking over their shoulders. No more running."

"Pretty much."

"You know we're going to be going up against the most powerful bird smuggler in all of Rio?" Linda asked.

"Yeah." Tom answered.

"Then we're gonna need a team."

* * *

><p>Early next morning, the three were standing on the balcony of one of the hotels overlooking the city.<p>

"So." Tulio asked. "We're going to need a team. Who have you got?"

Tom started his speech. "We're going to need a chameleon. Someone who can blend in. Anywhere. With my ability to talk to birds, maybe we've got the edge."

Stefano Alonso walked through a market place and out onto the main street. He was a friend of an explorer, and had traveled to many places throughout the world.

"What next?" Linda questioned.

"Reyes is going to have a lot of surveillance." Tulio noted. "We need someone good with circuits."

"And with those circuits," Tom continued, "Reyes is going to have walls. We need someone capable of punching through those walls. I'll round up some contacts in the military, see if they can get me in touch with some electronics and demolitions experts."

Fernando Mata-Alan and Anthony Brown were best buddies. Right now, they were taking a tour through the favelas. While Anthony would be the type of guy to pick the electronic lock, Fernando preferred to blow the wall down. Both were perfect for Tom's plan.

"We also need to get a fast thinker. Someone who can get their way out of almost any situation. I'll get some of my contacts in Japan, see where they lead me."

Saito Kenji Hayato had just walked out of the airport. He was waiting for something of great value to him. The airport runway workers were now wheeling it out to him. His 1994 Mazda RX-7 Twin Turbo, which he had had specially imported from Japan. Getting behind the wheel, he fired up the rotary engine and started to explore the city he had just arrived in.

"Anything else?" Tulio asked.

"Weapons and utilities." Tom pointed out. "We need a team that isn't afraid to throw down, a team to cover all the exits. I'll see if I can round up a special ops squad. I can rely on them."

"We get all of them." Linda noted. "We have an unstoppable team."

"Yeah." Tom said. "Here's to Operation Cheese and Sprinkles." He turned around to find Tulio and Linda had disbelieving faces. "What? Can you think up of a better name?"

* * *

><p>Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Next chapter will be dedicated to a group of characters that I feel have the potential to be great characters. As a result, the next chapter will focus almost exclusively on those characters, and will be a brand new ground up chapter. Until next time!<p>

NOTE: I have updated this chapter as of 29/11/11 to reduce the number of police cars delivered in order to fit in with future events.


	4. Chapter 4: Azure Arrives

This is a chapter dedicated to Sierra Strike. He applied his original characters for the original story which by then had ended. As a result, this chapter will focus mostly on Captain Sierra and his team.

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><p>The gigantic C-130 cargo plane carved its way through the air, its four engines humming away. Touching down onto the tarmac, it came to rest near a group of police cars, their lights lighting up the night. The cargo ramp opened to reveal the cargo: a couple of monstrous armored trucks and five fully kitted out special ops soldiers carrying automatic weapons and frag grenades. The lead soldier was giving a briefing.<p>

"Alright men!" Sierra spoke. "The man we're after is a professional bird smuggler. Spent 15 years as the top smuggler in Brazil, 14 of those at the top of every wanted list on the continent." Him and his team started walking down the ramp of the plane. Sierra stopped at the end of the ramp and turned around. "Got your funderwear on? We find 'em, we take 'em as a team and we bring those birds back. Sanctuary was robbed at 0419 hours yesterday morning, several birds stolen. Crime scene is 28 hours old and counting, men. Let's go hunting."

Weston, the second in command, Bell, the team sniper, and Doc, the medic, nodded and proceeded to jog to the team's vehicles. Sierra walked out while checking his Colt M4A1 automatic assault rifle.

"Captain Sierra!" A Portugese accented voice called out from the vicinity of the police cars. Sierra walked over and shook the man's hand. "Diego Lima, chief of Rio Military Police. I'm very sorry to hear about the Sanctuary's loss." Diego looked beyond Sierra to see an ARMET Gurkha armored truck roll out of the plane, the truck being bigger than a Hummer and its massive diesel engine producing an industrial truck like sound. "But I must ask." He pointed to the Gurkha, the GMC Suburban SUV that the team also used, and then to Sierra's M4A1 and flak jacket. "Is all of this really necessary to rescue a few birds?"

"Let me tell you about two of those birds." Sierra said as the Gurkha whirred past, and as the two men walked away from the plane. "One is a socially awkward male Spix's Macaw, spent 15 years as a domesticated pet in Minnesota. The other's a free-spirited female Spix's Macaw, wouldn't even look at a cage, let alone go in one, that's how much she cherishes her freedom. Probably spent half her life avoiding smugglers like Reyes. They're the last of their species on earth."

"Well," Diego offered, "If there's anything we can do to help Azure Ops..."

"Two things." Sierra continued. "One, I need a translator."

"We have some great people in the public relations department."

"Esparanza Salvia." Sierra handed Diego a file with the picture of a young policewoman.

"A rookie patrol officer?" Diego asked incredulously.

"You heard me."

"But why? We have many more experienced men..."

Thinking fast, Sierra spoke, "I like her smile."

Sighing, Diego responded, "So what's the second thing?"

By this time, Sierra had reached the Gurkha, and turned around before climbing in. "Stay the hell out of my way."

* * *

><p>At the sanctuary, the team managed to get into the parking lot. Disembarking, the team set to work finding clues as to the main questions: who, what, where, why and how. Sierra stood by and waited for his guest. Sure enough, a Dodge Charger squad car soon came to a halt beside the Gurkha, and a beautiful policewoman in her twenties stepped out.<p>

"You called for me?" She spoke with a distinctive Brazilian accent.

"Yep." Sierra answered. "Esparanza Salvia."

"But why? My smile is not that great."

"6 months ago, you saw an innocent gunned down in the favelas. Soon after, you upped and joined the force to make a difference. Way I figure it, you're the only cop in Rio who can't be bought. You're motivated. Am I right?"

"Yes."

"Course I am." Sierra was interrupted by the arrival of a white 2012 Chrysler 300 SRT-8 sedan. The smartly dressed driver stepped out with a certain air of sleuthness about him. "Captain Sierra, Azure Ops." Sierra greeted. "And you are?"

"George Kong. Master detective." George shook his hand. "I've been tasked with finding out about the mystery of the stolen birds. You know who I am?"

"Yep. People say that you're the next Sherlock Holmes."

"Sir!" Weston shouted. "Got something here!" Sierra walked over. "Bullet. Someone must've racked the slide on a 9mm handgun, can't see any blood or holes."

"Sure it's a 9mm?" Sierra asked.

"Sir, I carry a Smith & Wesson 629 Performance Center. Revolver, fires .44 Magnum bullets. This bullet isn't as big as a Magnum. The bullet here is a closer match to the P226 Doc carries."

"May I ask what you're doing here?" George questioned.

"We're here to find the birds stolen in this incident." Sierra spoke. "Not a phone call more, not a bullet less."

"OK. But allow me to assist."

"Go right ahead." Sierra turned around. "Doc! You find anything?"

"Yep." Doc responded. "Boot print." Doc motioned them over, then used the flashlight on his Mossberg 590 shotgun to illuminate the boot print. "Look to be a match for Gore-Tex boots. I studied the sales of Gore-Tex boots in Rio stores in the last month, pulled up a sale of boots to a Ricardo Zizi. Now here's the fun bit. Ricardo Zizi is a known associate of Hernan Reyes."

"Bingo. There's our man." Sierra pointed out. "Reyes doesn't strike me as the type to do the dirty stuff in person."

Outside, Sierra, Esparanza, and George were doing a debriefing when Bell strode over.

"Sir." Bell said. "I've got good news and bad news."

"You know I like my chocolate desserts first." Sierra responded.

"I examined the tire marks like you asked me to along with some police CSI teams. Look to be Bridgestone Duelers used by a four wheel drive."

"Good. Now give me the damn veggies."

"We cannot determine vehicle make or model from tire marks alone."

"Hold on." Esparanza interrupted. She walked over to the computer inside the Charger police car. Within a minute, she had accessed sales of Bridgestone tires in the past three weeks.

"Reyes likes to use heavy duty vehicles. Rams, Pajeros, Touaregs, those kinds of vehicles. You say they were Duelers, right?" Weston nodded. "Recently, four Bridgestone Dueler H/P Sport tires were purchased and fitted to a black Volkswagen Touareg. Reyes uses a lot of black off road vehicles like that."

"Nice." Sierra noted. "You're handy."

"I'm motivated." Esparanza replied. The silence that followed was broken by Weston's voice.

"Sir!" He yelled. "We got a hit! '70 Charger, just like you requested!"

Sierra jumped into action immediately. "'70 Charger? Where?"

Weston led him to a computer with satellite imagery. "Satellite intel pinpoints your old buddy's black 1970 Dodge Charger outside a warehouse in Botafogo."

"Thanks." Sierra spoke. He then turned around and started shouting orders. "OK! Everybody grab your gear! Mount up in the vehicles! We're moving out! We've got a 1970 Dodge in Botafogo!" The team sprung into action, grabbing weapons and gear, and stowing them in the team's vehicles. Sierra then turned to Esparanza. "Want a ride?"

"OK." Esparanza agreed. Sierra held open the Gurkha's heavy door so that Esparanza could climb inside. After closing the door, he muttered, "I think I'm in love." Shaking off the thought as rapidly as his M4 could fire, he jogged to the driver's door of the Gurkha, and climbed inside. He fired up the massive Ford Powerstroke diesel and put it in gear. The Gurkha, with Sierra, Esparanza and Weston in it thundered out of the sanctuary, followed by the rest of the team in their lifted and armored GMC Suburban, and George in his Chrysler 300 SRT-8. The convoy began to make its way towards Botafogo.

Inside the Gurkha, Sierra said, "Let's go find ourselves a Charger."

* * *

><p>That finishes this chapter. I hope you enjoyed this one Sierra! This one's for you! Please leave a review and tell me what you liked about this chapter. Next time, I'll be bringing the cast together for the first time!<p>

I now tell you that Sierra, Weston, Bell and Doc belong to Sierra Strike. George Kong belongs to Chrispy132, and Esparanza Salvia is my own character. People wishing to use these OCs for their own stories should direct all queries to those authors.


	5. Chapter 5: Convergence

This is a chapter coming to you from Warehouse 212 in Botafogo! We rejoin Tom and team as they're expecting the first arrivals. And... Guess who just showed up!

* * *

><p>Soon, a white 1994 Mazda RX-7 rolled to a stop inside the warehouse. Tom looked at the Veilside bodykit and the right hand side which was where the steering wheel was, and knew this could mean only one thing.<p>

"Ken!" Tom shouted as Saito Kenji Hayato exited the custom twin turbo RX-7. "Good to see you buddy!"

"Good to see you too, Captain Fortnell-san." Ken replied.

"Please, call me Tom. This ain't Bokuto anymore." Tom had a thought. "Speaking of Bokuto, you think Nakajima proposed to Kobayakawa yet?"

"Not yet."

"Didn't think so. He is shy, let's be honest. And even when he finally manages to gather up the courage, something happens, like Tsujimoto trying out his bike, or his love letter blowing onto a garbage truck that's on fire. I'd be amazed if he manages to marry the poor girl before Toyota makes that FT-86..."

"Isn't that the truth."

"Hello? Tom?" Margaret asked. "Who is this?"

"Margaret." Tom replied. "Meet Saito Kenji Hayato."

"So he's the guy?"

"Yep! He's the guy."

"I'm the guy." Ken piped in.

"He is the guy."

"Ken's the guy." Margaret said.

"I am the guy."

"He's the guy."

"I'm the guy."

"This is going on a bit long, don't you think, the guy?"

"Agreed."

* * *

><p>A Ducati Streetfighter parked beside them. The rider took off his helmet.<p>

"Fernando-122!" Tom greeted. "You bring the goods?"

"Right here." Fernando replied. He emptied his rucksack to reveal a variety of electronic devices, as well as his Desert Eagle handgun.

"Whoever thinks a Desert Eagle .50 is a practical sidearm..." Ken joked.

"No offence, but your QBZ-92 9mm isn't the most powerful in the world..."

"I thought the Smith & Wesson Model 500 .50 revolver was the most powerful..."

"Can we please stop it?" Tom asked while holding up his Colt .45. "I always thought the 1911 had the perfect balance of power and practicality. Besides, our next guest is here." All three men turned around to discover a 1971 Ford Maverick had parked in their vicinity.

"Anthony!" Fernando shouted. "Where did you get that? Scrapyard? Reyes?"

"Stop complaining!" Anthony Brown replied. "The Maverick is a legendary muscle car in Brazil! Besides, I have loads of explosives in here!" To prove his point, he emptied his rucksack to reveal C4, hand grenades, claymores and other explosives. "And I signed on the dotted line for that stuff as well!"

"The stuff that cost more than your car. Likely more than that white car over there!"

"Excuse me?" Margaret spoke once again, flying over to the table. "What are these people doing?"

"They're part of the team." Tom monotonously replied.

"I thought cock fights were illegal in Brazil..." Margaret commented while rolling her eyes.

"They are. Besides, here comes the next guest." Tom held out his hand for a Chestnut Fronted Macaw to land on. "Stef. Welcome."

"I heard about the theft." Stefano Alonso replied. "But why am I here?"

"You're an explorer's bird, right?" Stef nodded. "You have seen lots of places, right?" Stef nodded. "You know what people and birds look like in those places, right?" Stef nodded. "You're capable of blending in, right?" Stef nodded. "There you go! You're as much a part of the plan as our human colleagues." Stef nodded and started examining the equipment on the table, consisting of Ken's HOWA Type 89 rifle and QBZ-92 handgun, Fernando's electronics and Desert Eagle, and Anthony's explosives.

"Guys! Someone's here!" Tom called out.

"You ask for a guy in a white Chrysler?" Anthony asked.

"Hold on." Tom walked over to the driver's window of the white 300 SRT-8. "And who are you?"

"George Kong. Master detective." George replied. "I've been assigned to help track down the birds that were stolen yesterday morning."

"In that case, enemy of my enemy..." Tom reached out to shake his hand. "Welcome to the operation. I can guarantee you, you will be out gathering intelligence if you decide to join us. The kind of stuff that will appeal to you."

"Yes it does, so I will join you." George looked at Anthony and Fernando, and then to the table. "You might want to get the idiots away from that gear though..."

"I'll think about it." Tom looked past the Chrysler to find a Gurkha F5 parking beside him. Out stepped two special ops soldiers and a policewoman. "Sierra! How does it feel to be on the other side of the equator?"

"It's different from Afghanistan, let me tell you!" Sierra replied. Tom looked down at his M4A1 Carbine.

"You still look a little young to handle that full kit M4. Sure you can shoot?"

"Hell yeah! Besides, no offense, but you aren't exactly a grandpa either."

"OK. Mind if I check your weapons?"

"Go ahead." Sierra handed over his M4 to Tom, who racked the charging handle and checked to see if it was loaded.

"Nice. C-More Red Dot Sight and M26 MASS underbarrel shotgun." Tom checked out Sierra's other weapon. "And a P90 submachine gun with an EOTech holographic sight. You don't do things by halves."

"Check out my weapon as well." Weston offered.

"OK." Tom had a look at Weston's weapons. "An M4A1 Carbine, EOTech Holographic with swivel mount magnifier, and an M203 grenade launcher. Good to see you guys share my appreciation for the M4."

"Where are the others?" Esparanza asked. As soon as she said that, a GMC Suburban sped in. It crashed into the Maverick, doing a front flip before landing on its roof.

"Way to make an entrance guys." Tom sarcastically commented.

"Yeah." Bell replied while climbing out of the wrecked SUV.

"Hold on, I need to check your iron."

"OK." Bell handed over his weapons.

"UMP45 SMG with EOTech holographic, and an M14 EBR with telescopic sight, bipod and AN PEQ-15R laser designator. I've got to say, as team sniper, the Mark 14 suits you." He turned to face Doc. "And your Mossberg 590 shotgun isn't exactly stock as well. ATI Collapsable stock, Sure Fire dedicated fore-end with flashlight and a door breaching brake. PT92 and P226 handguns and a 629 .44 Magnum as back ups. Impressive."

"So why is everybody here anyway?" Fernando asked.

Tom turned to face everybody. "Because we've got a job."

* * *

><p>5 minutes later, when Tulio and Linda had returned, Tom had gathered everybody around the table. From left to right, he saw Margaret, Tulio, Sierra, Ken, Anthony, Doc, Bell, Fernando, George, Weston, Stef and Linda, all looking at him.<p>

"In case nobody heard the news, a group of birds were stolen yesterday." Tom started his speech. "Last of the species Blu and Jewel, party birds Nico and Pedro, and wise bird Rafael were all taken, and are now being held in an unknown location. I have gathered everybody here, from all sorts of places, for this operation. You are all here for a reason, and that reason involves your expertise. This begins a sseries of organized strikes against Hernan Reyes, the smuggler behind this theft. We will show him what happens when you screw with us. We shall begin the operation as soon as the sun rises tomorrow. For now, get some rest. I will stay behind to answer questions. Dismissed." Everybody began to move away from the table, except Sierra.

"You have a question Sierra?" Tom asked.

"Yeah." Sierra pointed behind Tom. He turned around to see a 2011 Toyota Prius. "Do I get to keep that Prius?"

"I dunno. But to be honest, I think they're interesting cars. Even though I don't know the plural of Prius. What is it anyway? Prius? Priuses? Prii? Prien? Prium? Anyone?"

* * *

><p>I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a review and I will get to writing the next chapter soon.<p>

Right now would be a good time to pop a disclaimer in here. Saito Kenji Hayato and Stefano Alonso belong to Chickweed001, Anthony Brown and Fernando Mata-Alan belong to Master Derek, George Kong belongs to Chrispy132, Sierra, Bell, Weston and Doc belong to Sierra Strike, and Margaret is WolfOnFyre's original character. Esparanza Salvia and Tom Fortnell are my own characters. All rights reserved for any brand name products referred to throughout the story.

Also, I will have a little poll going on to decide what you guys think is the plural of Prius. Feel free to either post in a review, or vote in the poll. Results will be revealed in the next chapter!


	6. Chapter 6: Train Heist

Sorry if this next chappy has made you wait, but I can now announce the results of the Prius plural poll! Prii received one review vote, but the winner with one review vote and one poll vote is Priuses!

* * *

><p>Early next morning, Ken, Anthony, Fernando and the members of Azure Team were called to the briefing table. Tom was waiting for them.<p>

"So what's this all about?" Anthony asked.

"We have something that requires your expertise." Tom replied. "We have a job."

"If it involves Reyes in some way, I'm in." Weston piped up.

Tom began a briefing. "Every week, Reyes brings in some of his cars in on a train that runs from Brasilia through the desert to Rio. Today, at 1100hrs, we have received intelligence that he is shipping in three high performance V8s along that line."

"How do you know what they are?" Ken asked.

"Don't ask any questions..." George said suspiciously. "And don't tell anyone."

"The cars are as follows:" Tom spread three pictures on the table. "A black 2009 Ferrari 458 Italia." Tom put the Ferrari's picture on the recon poster. "A blue 2006 Ford GT with white stripes." Tom put the Ford's picture on the recon poster. "And a silver 2010 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport convertible." Tom put the Corvette's picture on the recon poster. "We also know that Reyes is particularly interested in one of the cars. Which one we don't know, but we are interested in the car if Reyes is too."

"So what do we do?" Sierra asked.

"We're gonna steal them."

"So why are you bringing us along?"

"Azure, you guys are experts in firefights and stealth infiltration. At 1030hrs local that train is going to stop off at the last stop in a little village before going into the desert, in order to load the cars onto the train. You are going to sneak on board that train and ideally get as close to the cars as possible without being seen.

"Meanwhile, Ken, our expert driver, will be driving a custom built heist truck. It's a bit bare-bones, but it excels in off road driving and pulling cars off stuff. Ken will be waiting in the desert for the window to open. Anthony and Fernando will be riding along to gain access to the train car and to assist in stealing the cars.

"At 1120hrs, should everything proceed according to plan, that train will be on an eight mile stretch of arrow straight railroad. That's our window, and it closes when the train goes on a bridge that runs over a steep valley. That gives you four minutes to steal the vehicles, as the window closes fast."

"That is a tight window." Doc commented.

"But it's the only one we've got. I'll remain here to sort out other affairs. And remember, before you go, to look out for what Reyes is interested in. It's a computer chip housed inside a car radio sized computer, so whichever car contains this chip should be handled with extreme care. Once the heist has been completed, you shall go to the designated rendezvous and wait for assistance to arrive and extract the chip. This will deal a huge blow to Reyes, but only if we retrieve the chip."

"So it's a little piece of silicon we're looking for?" Bell asked.

"Yep. Another contribution from our friendly neighborhood detective." George gave a little chuckle.

"So we get to the RP," Fernando recited, "I'll be able to extract the information from the chip, and then we'll start formulating a plan to get the birds back."

"Pretty much." Tom concluded. "Train stop is at 1030hrs around 30 miles from Rio De Janeiro. Those birds in custody are counting on you." Tom gave a final look at the team that had been assembled. "Dismissed."

* * *

><p>Out on the train, Sierra had just finished giving a pep talk before the operation. He gave a little nod and the team set to work removing the covers covering the supercars.<p>

"Nice." Weston commented whole looking at the cars.

"So what's the plan?" Sierra briefed the team.

"Fernando and Anthony gain access to the train." Weston recited. "I take the black Ferrari with Fernando in the passenger seat."

"Good. What next?"

"He goes, I roll the GT up to the spot. Anthony gets in the passenger seat, then it's go time." Bell said.

"And then what?"

"We get in the Corvette." Doc replied. "And we follow the same routine."

"Fantastic." Sierra continued. "Ken peels off after we've taken the Chevy. We split up and head for the rendezvous in the favelas. There's a temporary forward operating base there where we can all meet up and figure out whose car contains this chip. Then we get back to Tom and team and report back. Just remember to keep that chip intact."

* * *

><p>Out in the desert, Ken was driving the heist truck. It had heavy duty shocks, a powerful V8 engine and massive off road tires. It was indeed bare bones, but it had a flat bed like that on a recovery truck featuring two side facing winches. Fernando and Anthony were hanging on as the truck took flight over several bumps in pursuit of the gleaming silver train. Ken drew alongside the train and settled to about 45 miles per hour next to the second to last car, which is where Azure reported the location of the vehicles. Anthony and Fernando pulled out plasma cutters and began to cut a massive hole in the train car.<p>

Inside, Sierra spotted the plasma cutters doing their work. "It's go time!" Weston dashed to the 458 Italia and climbed inside the sleek Ferrari. He quickly checked the glove compartment and the radio.

"No chip here!" Weston shouted through the open window. Sierra saw that the Ferrari was in the way of both the Ford and the Corvette.

"OK! Change of plans!" Sierra replied. "We're stealing this one anyway!" By that time, Anthony and Fernando had finished cutting the hole, and the metal that had been cut now peeled away to reveal a massive hole. Fernando and Anthony were standing on the truck bed. They dashed forward, grabbing tow hooks and hooked onto the right wheels of the Ferrari.

"Take care." Anthony said to Fernando.

"Sure. You too." Fernando replied. He then opened the Ferrari's passenger door and climbed inside.

Weston gave a thumbs up. Ken gave one in return and pulled a lever. The winches did their thing, dragging the Ferrari sideways onto the flatbed. Weston then pressed the engine start button, firing the 4.5 V8 into life with a shrill bark. Selecting reverse, Weston held the brake. Ken pulled another lever, lifting the front of the bed up and lowering the rear so that it dragged along the ground. Weston released the brake and wheeled the Ferrari onto the ground. Selecting first, he spun the 458 around and, drifting through the desert, started to make his way to the favelas.

"Next! We've got three minutes left!" Anthony shouted. Bell stepped to the Ford GT, opened the door, and climbed inside the cockpit of the low slung supercar. He started the supercharged 5.4 V8 engine and slammed the gear lever home. The engine gave a rumble as Bell wheeled the Ford GT into the spot once occupied by the Ferrari.

"Got something?" Anthony asked while attaching a tow hook to each of the Ford's right side wheels.

"No radio in here!" Bell replied.

Anthony got into the passenger seat. He put a hand into the glove compartment and dragged it out with a car radio sized computer. "Bingo! Sierra! We got it!"

"Good!" Sierra replied. "Tell Ken to go for it!"

"Ken! We're good to go!" Anthony shouted to Ken. There was a sharp jolt as the GT was yanked out of the train car and onto the truck bed. When the ramp was lifted, Bell stuck the Ford in reverse and shot off the ramp. He spun the car around and sped off in the same direction as the Ferrari.

"We know what car has the chip! We might as well go now!" Sierra shouted.

"What's Ken doing?" Doc asked. Sierra turned around to find Ken steering away from the train.

* * *

><p>Ken was veering away from the train to avoid a bridge that went over a little bump. He managed to avoid the bridge, but caught a big bump. The heist truck was sent airborne, with no control over the steering.<p>

"Oh crap!" The airborne truck plowed straight into the next train car along, nearly derailing the entire train. Ken managed to retain consciousness, and managed to ascertain that the truck was now being dragged along by the train. Part of the truck had crashed into the train car, while the rear end was dragging along the ground. However, there was a more pressing concern. There was a small fire near the gas tank. And the gas tank was leaking gas rapidly. Ken tried to climb out, but this was complicated by the truck's orientation. He only just managed to climb free as the gas ignited. The resulting explosion knocked Ken loose so that he was hanging onto the roll bar with one hand.

Sierra saw what was happening. "Come on!" Sierra and Doc leaped into the Corvette and fired up the 6.2 V8. Sierra slammed the car in drive and hammered on the gas pedal. The Corvette Grand Sport shot forward, and as Sierra steered the car through the hole in the train car, it took flight for a brief period before meeting solid ground once again. Sierra drifted the Chevrolet through the sand as he tried to keep up with the wrecked heist truck.

Ken noticed something that was rapidly approaching. "The bridge! We're heading towards the bridge!"

Doc also looked ahead. "The bridge!" Sierra simply accelerated even harder.

Drawing alongside the train car, Sierra yelled, "Jump!"

Ken looked incredulously at the jump he would have to make. He would have to jump at least the distance similar to the gap between two cars on a highway, with about a lane between them, at 45 mph, grabbing onto the Corvette and trying to hang on. He then looked ahead as the locomotive passed the first bridge support. Jumping may have been crazy, but it was his only chance. Holding his breath, he swung forward and leaped through the air. Landing on the trunk of the Corvette, he only just managed to avoid sliding off. An instant later, the truck wreck struck the bridge support and exploded, breaking away from the train car that once had a death grip on it.

"Holy crap!" Doc shouted as Ken hung on for dear life and as the truck wreck barrel rolled towards them. "Drive!"

Sierra looked in the mirror to find the wreck rapidly approaching their Grand Sport. He was left with only one option. "Hang on!" He accelerated until the Corvette reached the engine's redine.

"Oh damn!" Ken yelled as the Corvette plummeted over the valley edge and started the steep drop towards the river below. All three men let go of the Chevrolet and jumped out of the open convertible. The car dropped faster than them, but the three men and the car were pretty much neck and neck as all four hit the water.

Ken, Doc and Sierra rose to the surface of the water for air.

"Best driver on the team, huh?" Ken and Sierra asked each other in unison.

* * *

><p>I'm planning for the next chapter to come out before Christmas, and for the chapter after that to come out on Christmas Day. Chapter after that one should be out on New Year's Day. Until then, please give a review!<p> 


	7. Chapter 7: Surveillance Montage

Long wait, I know, but the 13th December is my birthday! Time to get something out for this occasion!

* * *

><p>"What time is it?" Linda asked.<p>

Tulio looked at his wrist. "Skin-thirty." He then looked at his other wrist, which had a watch on it. "No, seriously, it's 12:27. Why?"

"I get the feeling that they should've come back. The plan should've dictated that they'd be back by now."

"One thing I learned in the army," Tom interrupted while walking over, "Is that not everything goes exactly to plan. Find something to do while we wait for our colleagues to get back from their mission."

"OK." George replied. "I want to have a go at the traffic camera system. Esparanza!"

"Yes?" Esparanza asked.

"Can you help me operate the camera system?"

"Sure." Esparanza sat herself down in front of the computer. Within a few seconds, she was accessing a live feed of the traffic camera at a three way intersection on a road running alongside Copacabana Beach.

"This have a fast forward, rewind and pause function?"

"Yes. Why?"

"I want to test something." He motioned for Esparanza to rewind. She did so, and when George said to stop, she pressed the pause button. It stopped on a silver coupe, which the computer identified as a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro RS.

"So, the BRAZILIAN traffic camera system can identify cars from a simple snapshot?"

"Yes. I can tell you're surprised. Shall we look at another car?"

"No." George replied. "As a detective, I want to know who's driving. Zoom in, will you?" Esparanza did so. "Hmm. They're looking ahead."

"No problem." Esparanza pointed out. She pressed a button. "The camera will analyze that and identify the men's faces anyway." The computer did just that and came up with photos of the two men. The driver was identified as Steve McGarrett, while the passenger was Danny Williams.

"Well, hello there. You are a long way from home."

"That is an impressive camera system." Tom pointed out. "We would need that in Tokyo."

"Yeah, so you and Ken could sit in front of a monitor all day and see what cars you could spot."

"OK, so yes, but seriously, first day on that job, I was like, "What ARE all these cars?" You see, many of the world's major automobile manufacturers are in Japan, and they make cars for the Japanese market there that you don't see anywhere else. So I didn't know what those cars were. Perhaps that's why I took the GTO...Mind you, I still knew the high performance cars. Stuff like Supras, Skyline GT-Rs, RX-7s, NSXs, Impreza STIs and Lancer Evos."

"Oh." At that moment, Margaret decided to fly down.

"Hi Margaret." Tom said.

"Where are the others?" Margaret asked.

"Out on a mission." He heard some engines approaching. "Here they are."

The Ferrari 458 Italia, the Ford GT and a Ram 1500 pulled into the warehouse and parked. The occupants all got out of their vehicles. "Eh, sorry about being late." Sierra apologised. "Ken here wrecked the heist truck, we had to mount a rescue operation and that meant putting the Corvette over a cliff."

"It's alright though," Weston added, "Because we found that the Ford was the one with the chip."

"And they eventually managed to get to one of Reyes' safehouses." Bell contributed. "Stole one of their Rams to boot!"

"The second step in our organized strike." Tom said. "OK, mind showing me what that chip contains?"

"Go right ahead." Anthony opened the door so that Tom could get into the small cockpit. "Fires on all cylinders too."

"We're only interested in the chip." Tom pressed a button on the computer, and the monitor slid out. The computer was in Portuguese, a language Tom could understand from his time in Rio. "Let's see here." He touched the screen, and a bunch of numbers started scrolling. "It's a delivery schedule."

"According to this, it says that birds and money are shipped every week to eleven safehouses scattered throughout the city." Fernando pointed out.

Something caught Doc's eye. "What's that?"

"It's a dealer pack." Ken replied. "All the major players here weigh their money, so they don't have to count it." Ken took a moment to analyze the data. "49 kilos, that's $10 million. And there's 49 kilos going to every safehouse."

"So even if we eliminate one safehouse's load of money, that still makes a grand total of $100 million."

Tulio's face lit up. "Now that's some serious funds for the sanctuary!"

"But don't lose track here people." Tom climbed out of the Ford's cockpit. "Our primary objective is still to free the birds. Money is our lower priority goal.

Tom faced everyone. "It's time for some action. Reyes knows we're a threat. At the end of this day, he'll know not to screw with the Special Vehicles and Operations Team. We move in one hour. Gear up, we're going to show him just how serious we are."

* * *

><p>One hour and fifteen minutes later, Tom, Tulio, Linda, Anthony and Fernando were inside a 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8 parked outside a safehouse waiting for the time to strike. Tom was giving a briefing.<p>

"Alright, remember, masks on at all times, and no English until I start speaking it. Until then, if you can't speak Portuguese, then don't speak. Clear? OK. Let's go."

The occupants of the vehicle got out and proceeded to walk to the front door. Tom knocked on the door.

The rather fat watchmen slid open a view hole. Fernando stood there, unmasked, and said in perfect Portuguese, "We have a delivery." That was enough for the watchman to close the viewing hole, unlock the door, and open it, which was when a masked Tom gave him a greetings punch to the face, and burst in yelling in Portuguese for everybody to get down while pumping his Remington 870 entry shotgun.

Within a few moments, the crew were standing there, with Tom watching over the money and caged birds that had been gathered together, and the rest keeping watch on the entire population of the safehouse that had been equally herded together.

"Are you crazy?" The watchman yelled at Tom in Portuguese accented English. "Do you know who's birds and money you're stealing?"

"Whose birds and money?" Tom replied. "And no, we aren't stealing them." With that, he walked over to the cage, opened it, and watch as the birds inside flew away towards their freedom. He then dug out a cigarette lighter, lit it, then tossed it, and watched as $10 million began to burn. "Now you tell your boss." Tom warned the watchman. "Tell him exactly what happened, and tell him there's more on the way."

* * *

><p>Outside, Tom had just got back into the Grand Cherokee when he saw Tulio standing there. "Come on!" He shouted. "We gotta go!"<p>

"There's a Military Macaw here." Tulio replied while holding him up on his arm. "Can we keep him?"

"God, you are so obsessed with bolstering the sanctuary's population." Tom muttered. He sighed and resumed normal volume. "OK. Take him with us." Tulio got into the Jeep, making sure that the macaw wasn't left behind. As Tom started to drive away, the macaw flew over to the passenger side dashboard.

"Thank you for rescuing me from that smuggler." He said.

"Right. I'm going to need your name."

"My name is Seth." Seth replied. Tom could pick out the smoothness in his voice.

"Bit of a ladies' bird, are we? Well, now you're in my car, so you follow my rules. No complaints about my driving, no pooping on the nice clean fabric, this car is only just out in dealers, and if you MUST hurl, do it out the window!"

"Understood."

* * *

><p>In Reyes' plush office, the watchman was standing there while Reyes was walking around him.<p>

"So you say that some armed bandits raided the Santo Antonio safehouse?" Reyes inquired.

"Yes sir." The watchman replied.

"How much birds and money did they take?"

"They didn't take the birds, they freed them! And burned the money!"

"They burned my money?"

"Yes! And said there's more on the way!"

"Then this..." Reyes concluded when he got to his desk. "Is what we're going to do." He swung an ornamental paperweight around. There was a metallic clang, after which Reyes put the reddened ornament back down on his desk. He then turned towards Zizi. "Clean the houses. I want those birds under lock and key..." Zizi nodded. "Within an hour. Understand?"

"Understood." Zizi confirmed.

* * *

><p>Some henchmen were just finishing zipping up some birds in a duffel bag. They went outside and loaded the bag into a Mitsubishi Montero SUV. Unknown to them, Weston and Bell were watching from inside their 2008 Ford E-150 van.<p>

"Number one is on the move." Bell reported as the henchmen fired up their SUV and drove off. Weston started the engine, put the van in gear and started to follow them.

* * *

><p>Elsewhere in the city, Stef was busy in a restaurant reading the menu, when he saw a Toyota Sequoia and a Mitsubishi Montero screech to a stop outside. He grabbed a radio, made sure he was on Tom's frequency as he was the only human able to understand him, and reported, "Two is on the move."<p>

* * *

><p>George watched with intent eyes as two henchmen got into a Mitsubishi Pajero and drove off. He fired up the Hemi engine of his Chrysler and began to tail his target.<p>

* * *

><p>Doc saw a Mitsubishi Montero pull out. "I got mine." He put his Chrysler 200 S in gear and followed the Mitsubishi through the favela.<p>

* * *

><p>On top of a tall building, Ken was looking through some binoculars. He saw three henchmen load a Chevrolet Blazer and get in. "I've got eyes on five." The Blazer pulled out of its parking space and drove off.<p>

* * *

><p>Tulio drove by an intersection in his Skyline 2000GT-R while following a Toyota Sequoia. As he did so, Linda, who was in the passenger seat saw a 2010 Ram 1500 waiting for his turn to drive off. She also saw a 1970 Dodge Charger behind it, Tom in the drivers seat and flashing a thumbs up. Once the Skyline had passed, the Ram turned left as if to follow the Nissan, and the Charger followed.<p>

* * *

><p>Ken was still on top of the tall building, where he could see a good view of the city. He was still tracking the Blazer through his binoculars. His eyes suddenly widened and he put down the binoculars. While he was thinking about ways to compose his report, he picked up the radio, and began, "I know you said they were consolidating the money somewhere, but you are not going to believe this."<p>

* * *

><p>Later, the entire team was assembled on the roof of a parking garage. They all watched as the trucks and SUVs swerved into the building that was their destination. The Military Police building.<p>

"Well this job just got a lot harder." Sierra was heard to say.

"I'm going to have a long talk with Diego after this." George added. "I know I was paid by the police to track down the birds, but now..." He sighed. "I guess I'm allied with you guys."

"Of course." Esparanza pointed out. "The police in Rio are corrupt. Reyes must have paid the police for an alliance. I guess I really am the only one who can't be bought."

"Yeah." Ken agreed. "He must have some serious money to move his birds into a police station. Plus there's probably enough armed officers in there to occupy Sao Paulo."

"You really are crazy enough to rob Reyes, aren't you?" Esparanza asked. "Because no one else is."

"This is going to be a shorter trip than I thought." Anthony said.

"Hell yeah." Fernando added. "We can't do this."

"Can't?" Sierra said. "You mean shouldn't."

"I think this doesn't change a thing." Tom spoke. "I say we stick to the plan."

"Oh yeah?" Tulio questioned. "This just went from Mission: Impossible to Mission: Insanity."

"I'm not scared." Linda said. "I'm just letting you know that going in that building is crazy." With that, Linda and Tulio began to walk away.

"I got this." Tom offered. "If you want to see Blu and Jewel again..." He began to walk after them. "Then we have to do this. I know you're always going on about saving the species, but if we don't do this, then the Spix's Macaw could become extinct." This was enough to stop them both in their tracks.

"I'm in." They both said.

* * *

><p>At the police station, Reyes was walking with a police sergeant and Zizi. "Who is this Sierra?" He asked.<p>

"An American cowboy." The sergeant answered. "He's handled."

"He's just one of the customs entries into Rio in the past two weeks. Planes, trains, boats, everything short of the goddamn space shuttle. A special ops team, a Japanese policeman, a couple of soldiers, something big is going down. Handle him better."

"Sierra requested a rookie patrol officer as his assistant. They won't be a problem." The sergeant swiped his card at the door, and opened it. He flicked on the lights to reveal a massive bank vault in the wall. Reyes stepped forward, inputted the code and put his hand on the palm print scanner. It checked positive, and Reyes twirled the lock and opened the heavy door. He saw all of his birds inside, including two Spix's Macaws, a Red Crested Cardinal, a Yellow Canary, a Toco Toucan, a Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, and two Canada Geese, among others. They were all sitting on $100 million.

"They're all here?" Reyes asked.

"Yes." Zizi confirmed.

"And we have all our officers searching for the safehouse invaders." The sergeant added.

"Not good enough." Reyes countered. "Put a price on their heads big enough to get every pair of eyes in the city searching for them." Blu and Jewel's eyes widened at the news, both at the price, and at the fact that Reyes' words implied that someone was coming for him. And them.

* * *

><p>So, here's something fun. You remember who got snapped on candid camera, right? Well, if you can guess which TV show they're from, then you can win a special prize for the OC of your choice! Simply post your answer in a review, along with a review. Say if you prefer the color black or silver, who you would like the prize to be for, and which TV show you think those guys in that Camaro are from. Winner is the first to post the correct answer, and whoever has won will be revealed on Christmas Day when the next chapter is uploaded!<p>

Until then please leave a review, as that'll be a great birthday gift!


	8. Chapter 8: Remote Intel

A very merry Christmas to everyone! I know it's been a long wait, but I needed the time to get other things done and write this story. Besides, I'm hoping this will be an adequate Christmas gift. On with the story!

* * *

><p>By the way, I can now officially announce the answer to last chapter's competition. Steve McGarrett and Danny Williams are both from Hawaii Five-0. Chickweed001 was the first to post the answer, so he gets the prize. Sierra Strike and Chrispy132 also posted the correct answer so they get consolation prizes.<p>

* * *

><p>"George!" Ken shouted. "I studied the traffic camera footage you got. McGarrett and Williams. What are they doing outside of Hawaii?"<p>

Tom tossed him a pair of keys. "Well done." He smiled. "You figured correctly so I decided to give you a prize."

"That?" Ken pointed to a vault.

"Nope. We got that in for training." Tom pointed to a Jeep. "That. The 2012 Jeep Wrangler Modern Warfare 3 edition. It is a special edition Rubicon with Modern Warfare goodies. And as if that wasn't enough, I've even loaded it up with firearms from the game. Take your gaming campaign into the real world."

Ken looked at the silver Jeep. "You sure you haven't got gun shaped paperweights in there?"

"Nope." Tom pulled out a M4A1. "They're real, they work and they look just like their in game counterparts. Take this M4 Carbine. Matte black finish, charging handle assist, Magpul stock, new straight magazines, flip up ironsights, Tango Down vertical foregrip, Knight's Armament Company rail handguard and this particular weapon is equipped with an EOTech holographic sight with swivel mount 3x magnifier, what is referred to in game as a "hybrid sight." Tom showed off the weapon as he did so.

"Sweet." Sierra remarked.

"Even if you don't like the weapons, you can use them for the ammo. I gave special attention to what weapons you liked though, so at least consider them." Tom opened up the trunk of the Jeep to reveal a stash of machine guns.

"Heckler & Koch MP5." Tom pulled out the SMG in question. "This one has got a new Knight's Armament Company rail system so it can accept grips and optics. Right now, this one's got a suppressor and a red dot sight, but feel free to equip your own attachments on it.

"And also from H&K, the MP7 SMG. Comes with 40 round magazines for a laser like string of lead.

"Now this..." Tom pulled out an assault rifle. "Is what I am talking about. The AK-47." He pulled back on the charging handle. "This one has received heavy modifications. A black finish, Carbine stock, new muzzle, and a RIS rail handguard.

"You seem to like the Chinese QSZ-92 handgun so I brought in a QBZ-95 rifle specially from China for you. It's set to three round burst, so if you've used an M16A4, you'll be used to burst firing. You wouldn't believe what I had to go through to get one of these, so if I didn't get it, I don't think Santa would too.

"And finally, the CM-901. Developed by Colt as a short barreled carbine. This one has a 20 round mag and can accept many attachments."

"You think we could get some of those?" Sierra asked.

"Sure." Tom replied. "I was going to get to you anyway."

"I wouldn't mind trying a handgun." George piped in.

"OK." Tom pulled out a pistol. "How about the FN Five-seven? Compact, easy to use, and the 5.7 round it fires can penetrate police body armor. These things are highly sought after in Mexico, and one of these," He checked the slide, "can go for the equivalent of $5,000, as much as, I'd say, around about a decent rifle."

"Impressive." George took the Five-seven.

"Now how about us?" Bell asked.

"Alright." Tom tossed an M4A1 to Doc. "That M4 comes with the same stuff I described earlier."

"For me?" Bell asked.

"MP5, fitted with the same bells and whistles as Ken's."

"And how about me?" Weston asked.

"You're getting a Remington ACR." Tom said. "Chambered for 6.8mm and with a desert finish, Magpul PMAG 30 round mags and a folding stock.

"You, Sierra, can now get an AK-47 just like Ken's. Extensively modified, and with me wondering whether to even call it an AK-47 anymore.

"And finally," Tom pulled out one last weapon. "The SCAR-L. Manufactured by FN for the SOCOM SCAR competition to find a special forces combat assault rifle." Tom faced the group. "That is all." He faced Ken. "Enjoy the Jeep."

* * *

><p>Later, Linda was walking towards the table with a blueprint in her hands.<p>

"The beauty of public buildings?" She rhetorically asked. "Public records." She laid down the plans on the table.

"I think that Reyes is holding the birds here." George pointed to a room on the map. "Evidence room. No-one's got the authorization to go in there, unless they're a cop, or Reyes."

"Hold on. Hold on." Fernando interrupted. "Can I just talk here for a second? We're talking about breaking into a police station. A POLICE station! You know, popo, Five-0, one time, people that now won't help us."

"Back on topic." Bell responded. "You know, police stations are designed to keep people in, not out."

"That's why it's a stealth mission." Tom answered. "In and out before they even know it. Now, you said only cops could go in there."

"Yes." George said.

"So we're going to need someone with prior experience. Someone who can play a convincing cop." The crew turned around to find Ken sitting at another table, assembling his HOWA Type 89 rifle.

"Eighty seven, and..." He inserted the magazine. "Done!" He noticed where everyone was looking. "Why's everyone looking at me?"

* * *

><p>Ken walked through the door to reception. A stern faced Brazilian officer was on the other side of the glass.<p>

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"I need to take this into evidence." Ken answered, tapping the FBI marked box.

"No."

"What do you mean no?"

"Only authorized personnel may enter the evidence room. Now let me see your ID."

Ken sighed and pulled out the (forged) ID card. "Ayamu Nakamura."

"Alright Mr. Ayamu." The officer leaned forward to read the card. "It says Caucasian."

"The person who made this card must've wanted a joke." Ken smiled. "Get it? Cauc-ASIAN?" The officer only raised an eyebrow. "Oh alright, you can have the box." He walked off. Before going through the door, he turned around. "I swear, if you were on the other side of that glass, you'd be meeting my friend Mr. Type 89, now translate THAT!"

* * *

><p>Ken strolled towards a white Ford E-150 van. He slid open the door and climbed inside, shutting the door as he did so.<p>

"I hope it's in." He remarked. Tom and Fernando sat inside, with Fernando holding a remote control and sitting in front of a monitor.

"How long shall we give it?" Tom asked.

"How about now?" Fernando blipped the forward stick.

In the evidence room, the box vibrated. The whirring sound inside came to life again, pushing the box off the shelf and causing it to dump its load. A barebones remote control car with a camera mounted on it landed on its wheels. Fernando guided the car through the room.

"You know, I've been wondering why you came in on a motorcycle." Ken wondered. This caused Fernando to veer to the right and hit a trolley. "Oh, because you can't even drive a remote control car!"

"Shut up." Fernando grumbled. "I need to focus." He reversed the car and continued on his course. For five seconds.

"Hey, what's that?" Ken pointed out. "Right there, on the left." Fernando steered the car to a halt in front of a bank vault, and focused the camera to look at different features.

"Eight by twelve." Fernando remarked. "Biometric palm scanner, and a Griffin three times lock and electronic tumbler. Ten tons of top of the line security. No way we'll move that with Grandma's Civic."

"Do I even want to ask about how you know this?" Tom remarked.

"No!" Fernando and Ken shouted in unison.

"OK." Tom replied. Fernando backed the car away from the vault.

* * *

><p>Back at the warehouse, the crew were studying the plans again.<p>

"So, assuming you can actually breach that thing," Doc asked. "How will you get the birds out?"

"I've been thinking about that." Tom replied. "There's one way, but the wall separating the garage from the evidence room is alarmed. If we breach that thing Call of Duty style, they'd know we're there. That defeats the whole point of it being a stealth mission."

"OK." Weston sucked air through his teeth. "How about this way?" He pointed out another path.

"Nope." Tom rejected the idea. "Guard shack. Crack shots with automatic rifles. Not good." He pointed to the restroom on the plans. "Now that's the beauty of the place where you go to flush all of the crap that the human body makes down the pipes. If we sneak in the restroom, we can get through the ventilation shaft to the evidence room, get the birds, sneak out through another ventilation shaft to the garage where we can get the birds into some waiting cars."

"Sounds good, but we don't even know what's waiting for us in the garage." Bell noted.

Tom took a moment to process this. "Fernando! Anthony!" He called out.

Fernando sighed while grabbing his rucksack full of stuff that shouldn't even be mentioned without having the proper clearance. "Once more into the valley of death."

* * *

><p>"Two to one says you shove it up the wrong one." Fernando remarked as him and Anthony walked towards their destination.<p>

"Why have you got to be so negative all the time?" Anthony asked.

"I'm not being negative." Fernando responded. "I'm just POSITIVE you're going to screw this up." Anthony forced the lock open with a crowbar.

As they climbed down the ladder underground, Fernando's complaining continued. "Next time, if there's no elevator, I'm not coming."

"You need to learn to relax." Anthony replied.

Now, they were underground, they pulled out flashlights and proceeded towards their goal. Ahead of them were some pipes. Fernando exclaimed as he opened a pipe and some brown liquid poured out. Meanwhile, Anthony pulled out and prepped a bomb.

"Let's see if you can get it in under six goes this time."

"You'd better hurry, we've got less than a minute." Anthony reported as the timer on the bomb started counting down from 60.

"Why do you ALWAYS set the timer so short?" Fernando asked as he shoved the bomb up the pipe, and replaced the cover. The two men then ran for cover.

Inside the restroom, it was all quiet. Until there was a massive explosion and everything that had originally been flushed down the toilet now came straight back up through all the toilets like supercharged fountains. One unfortunate officer rushed out of the restroom, zipping up his pants as he went.

* * *

><p>Fernando and Anthony casually strolled through the doors in their plumbers uniforms.<p>

"A police station." Anthony whispered.

They went through to the restroom. When they came in, there was brown "stuff" on the floor and the stench was sickening. Fernando blocked his nose.

"You used too much explosive!" He complained. "Again!"

"Too much, too little." Anthony took a high tech scanning device from Fernando's suitcase. "It's always the wrong amount. That's some stuff you learned from the Kabul library, isn't it?"

"And what you're doing on the wall..." Fernando countered as Anthony paid attention to the scanner. "You got that from the same book. Huh?"

"Shh." Anthony listened as the scanner picked up a hollow point in the wall. "There's something right here." He pointed to where the scanner gave the reading.

"Let's get to work." Fernando unblocked his nose and picked up a pickaxe.

"Seriously?" Anthony asked. "No breaching charges?"

"Sometimes, the low tech solutions are the best."

In two minutes flat, they had removed a section of wall to reveal circuitry running through the hollow point.

"There's the hollow point." Anthony reported. "Do you have it?"

"Yep." Fernando reached in through the hole in the wall and attached the small device to a wire. "You up?"

"Yes, we're up." Tulio replied as the laptop came to life to show the view from the cameras in the garage. "We're looking at four cameras, with about ten seconds oscillation."

"Ten seconds." Tom added. "That's a narrow window."

"Can't we just replace the image?" Linda asked.

"Nope." Fernando answered over the intercom. "They're hooked up to a digital sync. If we doctor an image, they'll know we're in the system. Peeking is all we can do."

"Looks like electronic warfare is out." Sierra confirmed. "We'll need some fast cars to get through that."

"Not just fast." Ken noted. "It'll need to be agile as well. We've got a hard right and a hairpin."

"It's settled then." Tom spoke. "You guys mock up a track. Ken, what's that RX-7 running?"

"Engine's a 13B 1.3 rotary." Ken replied.

"Near death."

"I've installed a twin turbo and custom nitrous kit."

"Death."

"It's making around 460 horsepower.

"Certain death."

Ken had to laugh. "It handles well too. I couldn't find a faster car down any of Tokyo's mountain roads."

"OK. Let's go get some cars."

"That's fine by me."

* * *

><p>Next chapter is aiming for New Year's Day. That would be a gift for the new year, wouldn't it? Plus, I've got a new story aiming for that same day, so be sure to stick around!<p> 


	9. Chapter 9: How We Roll

I would like to wish everyone a happy new year! Good luck to everyone in 2012!

WARNING: This chapter focuses mainly on the vehicles. If you do not understand technical terms, read ahead with caution!

* * *

><p>It was at a gathering place for street racers where one could find many of the top performance cars in Brazil. Two of those cars were a little different though: a matte black 1970 Charger with nothing too flashy on it, and a right hand drive 1994 RX-7 with a Veilside bodykit and Japanese plates on it. The Dodge and the Mazda were parked next to each other, and the occupants were now having a chat.<p>

"You know, this kinda reminds me of that street meet we busted up in Tokyo." Tom said to Ken.

"Yeah." Ken replied. "We went in, and caught them with their pants around their ankles!"

"And after, we personally took time to 'collect evidence.'" Ken laughed. "We went around looking at all of the cars!"

"Yep. That was the day! You find anything you liked back there?"

"Of course. 1994 Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec II R32."

"Oh man, I was going to take the Skyline!"

"Ah well, I still like the GT-R series of performance cars. That R32 had nothing too conspicuous on it, just white paint, aero side skirts and a lip spoiler on it, but it was punching out 500 horsepower from that RB26DETT motor."

"That's good and all," Ken countered, "But I found a midnight blue 1974 Nissan Fairlady Z S30 there as well. Had a 432R race wing, S30 race front and rear bumpers and '69-'73 tail lamps. That may not sound spectacular, until I discovered what was under the hood. It was running a swapped L28, bored and stroked to 3.1 liters and fitted with twin turbos to make 600 horsepower."

"You asked for it." Tom braced himself. "1988 Porsche 911 Turbo 964. Running all black paint with a few RUF CTR aero parts. And the motor? That was a twin turbo boxer with 700 horsepower. Beat that!"

"Oh snap! Score one for the cap!"

Tom laughed. "Let's go get some cars."

* * *

><p>They were walking down the aisle, surrounded by performance cars.<p>

"OK Ken," Tom instructed. "I know you like '90s Japanese cars, but try to get a balance, OK? Now see anything you like?"

"1993 Toyota Supra. Always wanted one of those." Ken pointed out.

"And I'll take that Porsche 911 GT3 RS." Tom responded. "All motor, no tuning issues? Nice."

"Held the record on the Avenida three years running." The Porsche driver piped in as he walked around his sky blue 911.

"That's good." Tom turned around to point at his Charger. "But I bet once I crank up that Hemi mill, you won't be able to keep up with my dust."

"OK." The Porsche driver walked up to Tom. "It's on."

* * *

><p>Later, the crew was sat on the couches admiring Tom's Charger and Ken's RX-7 parked next to each other. The blue 911 GT3 RS was parked nearby, a warning to those foolish enough to take on Tom and the Charger in a pink slip race.<p>

"Nice." Sierra remarked. "Anything that someone could do to make this operation better?"

"I have thought of that." Tom got up, and motioned for Sierra to do the same. "Follow me."

While walking away from the couches, Tom briefed Sierra. "I saw how you reacted to that Prius."

Sierra smirked as he thought back to that moment.

* * *

><p><em>"You have a question Sierra?" Tom asked.<em>

_"Yeah." Sierra pointed behind Tom. He turned around to see a 2011 Toyota Prius. "Do I get to keep that Prius?"_

_"I dunno. But to be honest, I think they're interesting cars. Even though I don't know the plural of Prius. What is it anyway? Prius? Priuses? Prii? Prien? Prium? Anyone?"_

* * *

><p>Tom's voice brought Sierra back to reality. "I also studied the Suburban that the idiots brought in."<p>

"I HEARD THAT!" Weston yelled, causing Fernando to break out in merry laughter.

"And I took those two things and put them into a vehicle I think you are going to like." Tom jogged towards a light switch, and flipped it on to reveal an extensively modified 2012 GMC Sierra 1500 Hybrid pickup. "Meet your new vehicle."

"Sweet!" Sierra dashed to the GMC Sierra and started inspecting it. "It's even got my name on it!"

"Admittedly, that was a bit of a joke." Tom walked to the side of the truck. "It's pretty much a re-badged Chevy Silverado, so the name change shouldn't take anything away from it."

"Now we've got that sorted, mind walking me around the truck?"

"Sure." Tom knelt down to pat the tires. "These are 35 inch off road tires. Combine that with jacked up suspension to make your journey effortless, no matter what the terrain.

Tom stood back up to his full height and knocked against the bodywork. "This slate gray bodywork looks innocent enough, but plenty of gangsters here carry AK-47s or equivalent, so I've made sure to armor the body, so it's certified for 7.62mm.

Tom then walked around to the front. "These ram bars should make mincemeat of obstacles. These things are so big, they put America's best police cruisers to shame.

Tom strolled back to the side. "These side mirrors were taken from a Ford Super Duty pickup." He pointed out. "They help you see what's going on behind, and give the truck a mean look.

"Now the powertrain, that's the interesting part. The engine is a Vortec 6.0 V8, your typical pickup powerplant. That's combined with electric motors to create a hybrid with boosted performance and green credentials.

"And the truck bed." Tom directed Sierra to the part of the truck in question. "This is still a pickup truck, so I kept that in mind. Now you can haul gear in this truck bed, or you could seat a couple of soldiers in those side seats." He pointed to the seats. "Or, if you'd rather sacrifice load or troop capacity for a little firepower, you can equip a stand to mount a machine gun like on those technicals you often see. Maybe you want an M240 7.62mm LMG on there? How about a Browning M2 .50 HMG? Or why not try a Mk. 19 40mm Auto Grenade Launcher?" Tom gave a little chuckle.

"I'll be waking up from the dream pretty soon." Sierra remarked in awe.

"Nope. This is all real. And this is your truck." Tom replied with a smile.

* * *

><p>"OK Tom." Tulio said over the loudspeaker. "Hit it."<p>

The blue Porsche shot into the warehouse and onto the mocked up practice track. It drifted past the camera and slid to a stop just outside their practice vault. Tom got out of the 911.

"That was good." Ken congratulated. "Camera three still got you though."

"What? I was milking the hell out of that thing too." He took a moment to think to himself. "We need a faster car."

* * *

><p>The team spent an hour trying to get past the cameras to the vault, where Tom had placed a load of plush parrots, as well as Margaret, Seth and Stef, and a few birds from the sanctuary to simulate real birds. The cars differed, as the team tried out a Challenger SRT-8, a 1969 Camaro, a 370Z, a 2011 Impreza STI, a Supra, and the Porsche. Different team members were in the driver's seats too. Azure, Ken, Tom, Esparanza, George, even Tulio was trying to do their best. Every time though, the cameras got them. At one point, Bell steered a little too early, sending the Supra straight into a pillar, and making plenty of people burst out laughing<p>

"Oh!" Sierra exclaimed.

"I bet you he was texting!" Linda added.

"Oh come on!" Ken shouted. "I wanted to try out the Supra!" He turned around to get in the 370Z, adding under his breath, "Sono ryuketsu no obaka!" (That bloody great idiot!)

* * *

><p>After Esparanza completed what must've been the 20th run in the Impreza alone (Or was it 21st? Everyone had lost count long ago), the camera was still nailing them.<p>

"Nope. The cars just aren't fast enough." Sierra ranted. "The only way we can get through is with, I dunno, invisible cars!" Tom paused, stood up from looking under the hood of one of the cars, looked at Sierra, and then at one of the Charger SRT-8 police cars they had requisitioned.

"And I know just where to get them."

* * *

><p>As Tulio drove the Ford E-150 van past the police station's parking lot, the door opened, and four figures climbed out.<p>

"Don't hurt yourself." Tulio said before the men climbed onto the roof of the van and leaped over the high fence. They slid down, landing on the tarmac. They then proceeded towards their target.

Tom and Ken were the first to arrive, pulling up in their 2011 Dodge Charger R/T police cruisers. They revved the Hemi engines as they stopped.

"Long time since I was behind the wheel of a fully marked squad car." Tom remarked.

"First time I've been in the front left seat." Ken answered. "I'll get used to it."

Two more identical Chargers pulled up alongside them. Sierra and George were driving.

"What took you so long?" Ken asked. "For sure, I thought you'd be showing up with a .50 on the roof or something!"

"Very funny." Sierra answered before switching to communicating through the loudspeaker. "This one's for the train heist." His voice boomed. "I want to prove who's the best driver."

"Well, I could've sworn it was you who put the Corvette over the cliff."

"I had no choice! And now, we're away from any cliffs and in identical cars, it's time to see who's the best. One mile drag race, one winner."

"Sounds good to me." George commented.

"So, what do you think Tom?" Ken asked.

"Talking? Or racing?" Tom replied. "You knew the answer when we first met."

"OK." Ken revved the Charger again.

All four Chargers lined up at the intersection, waiting for the light to turn green. Sierra, however, had been trained to react fast in situations such as hostage takings. The training didn't include situations such as drag races in identical police cars though, but Sierra had taken care of that.

"Go!" He shouted as he lit up the lights and sirens and shot forward just before the light turned green and the others followed.

"Pah, typical Sierra." Ken remarked as the Chargers picked up speed. Within moments, all four cars had accelerated past 100, with Sierra in the lead, lights and sirens blazing. Ken was second, with Tom third and George last. Tom quickly ducked through the gap left by George and Ken.

"Got to want it, Ken."

Ken quickly responded by drafting and overtaking Tom's Charger. "Not this time, Tom!" Both cars quickly went past Sierra.

"What? No!"

The four cars quickly assembled into an impromptu formation, with Tom and Ken lining up beside each other in motion, and Sierra and George lining up beside each other behind the others. The four Hemi Chargers sounded aggressive, and the roar was so powerful, they made a shop window vibrate. Eventually, when the road widened, they re-assembled line astern for the final dash. All four police cars were neck and neck. Just as they approached the finish line/intersection, Tom nudged ahead a bit and Ken dropped back ever so slightly, so Tom crossed the finish line first.

"Yes!" Tom celebrated. "I've still got it, no matter what car I'm in!"

Kenn gave a smile. He had deliberately let his friend win, just like old times. Besides, he was more used to right hand drive Japanese cars such as his RX-7. And he could live with Tom winning. With Tom driving an American muscle car, he probably didn't stand a chance anyway!

* * *

><p>Please enjoy this little gift for the new year. Now that December (and 2011!) is finished, I have dumped the fixed schedule and will be getting updates out as soon as they're done. Another thing to look out for is A Day At The Races 2! I know it's been a long time coming, but I have extra reason to push it out, because it will be my last brand new Rio story! I plan on relocating once this, that and Letters From Rio De Janeiro is done, and I plan on going out the same way Tom would: All guns blazing!<p> 


	10. Chapter 10: Turning Point

Sorry for the long wait, but I was busy with other things. It's time to push out this next chapter!

* * *

><p>There was the sound of the door unlocking again, and before any of the birds could make a sound, the door swung wide open, exposing them to the bright light. A man shoved in two canaries.<p>

"Natalie? Corey?" Nico asked. "Are you alright?"

"Eh, we're fine." Corey responded.

"Just a bit roughed up." Natalie added.

"You know them?" Pedro asked.

"Brother and sister..." Nico remarked.

"And now, jailbirds." Rafael pointed out. "The stakes just got higher."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, the convoy rolling through the favelas was a sight. The first vehicles to rise over the crest of the hill were a couple of police cars. Esparanza had used her connections to gather the assistance of a team of non-corrupt police officers. Next, Azure's Sierra 1500 Hybrid pickup rolled over the top. Weston and Bell were in the GMC. Sierra and Doc were in the Gurkha F5 that was just behind the Sierra. The rear was brought up by another two police cars. Tom, Ken and Tulio were running a few minutes behind in the 2011 Charger police cars, as the plan was for Azure and the cops to roll in first and take out any opposition. The crew would then cover Tom and the Chargers as they sneaked in to break open the vault and retrieve the birds. The first team would then cover the Dodge's escape. However, as Tom would be sure to point out, nothing ever went exactly to plan.<p>

"Don't you get the feeling that something's wrong?" Sierra asked inside the Gurkha as the GMC Sierra caught air over a bump. Doc was driving, with Esparanza and a squad of armed SWAT officers in the rear.

"I dunno." Doc answered. "Seems clear."

"OK." Sierra was still suspicious though, and kept scanning rooftops. A man rose up, which didn't worry Sierra at first glance. What did worry him though, was what he was pointing at the convoy. An RPG-7 85mm anti-tank rocket launcher.

"AMBUSH!" Sierra yelled as the RPG fired, sending a rocket streaking towards the convoy. The police car directly in front took the force of the blast coming from underneath and caught air, barrel rolling into a backyard. The convoy came to a stop, with the Gurkha driving over a parked car. The GMC Sierra pulled off the road and to a stop as favela militiamen started firing automatic weapons at the convoy.

Sierra looked as an officer pulled himself out of the wreckage of his VW Jetta.

"Weston, Bell, suppression fire!" Sierra yelled into the radio. "Shut them down."

Inside the Sierra, Bell and Weston received the order through their radios.

"Weston, get on the fifty!" Bell yelled.

"On it!" Weston confirmed. "Cover me!" He jumped out and fired his UMP-45 at a militiaman, who fell down after taking a .45 to the chest. Bell joined in, his M14 going rock and roll on full automatic. Weston dashed to the rear of the truck, pulled the tailgate down, jumped up onto the truck bed and gripped the Browning M2 .50 caliber heavy machine gun. Pulling back on the charging handle, and aiming at a group of gunmen, he let rip with the Browning booming and sending .50 BMG rounds at the gunmen.

"Stagger step, cover me." Sierra said to Doc. Both men got out of the Gurkha and began to shoot at the gunmen. Sierra took the right side with his M4A1, and Doc covered the left with his Mossberg 590 shotgun.

Bell pulled out his P226 pistol as he didn't have time to reload his M14. Weston continued to pound away with the M2 .50 and Esparanza joined in with shots from her Taurus PT92. Sierra made his way towards the wrecked patrol car, although he could hear the rear vehicles come under fire.

"Come on!" One of the SWAT officers yelled. The SWAT team piled out of the Gurkha and started shooting their FAL battle rifles. As more militiamen fell, Sierra could make his way towards the wreckage. But as he stopped to shoot at more bad guys, another RPG streaked past him and impacted the front of a Ford Focus police car, sending it end over end and knocking Sierra down to the floor.

A SWAT officer noticed Sierra was down and ran towards the special-ops captain, but was gunned down before he could get to Sierra's side. Sierra watched with helplessness as the officer fell, lifeless to the floor. He rolled onto his side to try to get to his M4 Carbine, and he saw the officer in the Jetta as he did so. The officer looked back at him, just as two grenades clattered to a halt on the floor next to the overturned Volkswagen. Within a second, the grenades exploded, deafening Sierra in a spectacular explosion. He looked away, knowing the officer was beyond saving now.

He rolled back onto his back, and took in the sight as several officers lay dead before him. He could not hear the SWAT officers yelling, Weston's M2 booming, the militiamen continuing their onslaught. It looked like a battle was going on, which wasn't very far from the truth. As Sierra's hearing returned to him, he could see several militiamen running towards him as he lay on the floor. However, a series of shots suddenly rang out, and Sierra turned to look at the source of the gunshots as the militiamen fell to the floor, dead.

Tom was standing there, unloading his M4 on automatic at the gunmen. Doc was by him, pumping his Mossberg to deliver another serving of 12 gauge justice. Ken was looking down the sight of his HOWA Type 89 assault rifle, and carefully picking off targets with surgical precision. Even Tulio was joining in with a P90 he picked up (spraying from the hip, no less!). As more and more militiamen succumbed to the gunfire that was coming from the besieged convoy, Tom ran towards Sierra. Sierra took his hand, and as Tom helped him up, he blew away a gunman with the M26 MASS shotgun mounted on his M4.

Ken and Tulio continued to cover Tom as he and Sierra piled into the Gurkha. Bell saw this and got back into the GMC Sierra, just as the last person remaining got into the ARMET Gurkha.

"We good?" Tom asked.

"Yeah." Sierra answered. "Let's go! Let's go!" Tom shifted into drive and stepped on the gas pedal. A black Ram 1500 blocked their way, but Tom continued to pick up speed. Before Sierra could duck, Tom rammed the Ram, sending it spinning, causing a huge dent, bending the right rear wheel extremely out of angle, and sending the truck bed cover a good 50 feet. Ken and Tulio drove past the wrecked Ram with their Chargers, and Bell brought up the rear, with Weston still standing on the truck bed giving fire with the Browning as the convoy, its numbers now reduced, hastily departed.

Zizi stood there as peace once again returned to the favela. He looked around at the dead and dying, and spat on the ground.

* * *

><p>As the Gurkha made its way past the favela, Tom looked in the mirror.<p>

"Hey Esparanza." A voice called out. Esparanza looked down to see one of her comrades lying next to her. He had taken a gunshot wound to the stomach. Doc also noticed, and he made his way over to the victim and started to work on the wound. "You've got to meet my daughter. Esparanza."

"Come on." Doc whispered as he tried to find the correct equipment.

"Joao." Esparanza said. "I will."

Joao gave a chuckle. "She's a good kid." A pause, before, "You know, we named her after you." He sighed. "Esparanza."

"You have my word, Joao."

* * *

><p>Later, at the warehouse, Esparanza covered Joao with the blanket. Despite Doc's best efforts, Joao had died in the Gurkha en route to their base.<p>

"You were always my brother Joao."

Tom stood there, looking at everyone with their solemn faces.

"We need to move, we don't have much time." Tom spoke.

"I got us a flight out." Fernando said. "We can leave Rio in the rearview in the next five hours."

"Not to run away." Tom corrected. "To finish the job."

"Are you crazy?" Anthony asked. "We can't."

"It's a suicide mission." Ken added. "That's someone's father right there on the table." He pointed to Joao's body. "The plan is busted! Reyes knows we're coming!"

"He's right." George said. "They tripled the detail at the police station. It's going to be a wall of gunfire."

"Reyes doesn't get away with this." Tom vowed.

"It's a trap." Margaret pleaded. "You know that."

"Tom." Esparanza said. "Listen to them. Run, before it's too late. You can be free."

"Those birds aren't free." Tom countered. "And running isn't freedom." He turned to the crew. "You know you're all free to make your own choices." He turned to head to the office. "But I'm going in all by myself if I have to."

He barely made it up the steps before a voice called, "I'm in." Tom turned around to look at the source of the noise. "I'll ride with you Fortnell." Sierra offered. "Because the police are no longer on our side, we can kill that son of a Buick. I'm sure Esparanza wants to do so as well." With renewed determination, the rest of the crew offered their services.

"So what's the plan, Tom?" Ken asked. "You know we can't go sneaking around anymore."

"We don't sneak." Tom spoke. "No more hiding. No more running. The only thing he cares about is his birds. We pull them, we pull him."

* * *

><p>I hope you enjoyed! As usual, it would be appreciated if you could leave a review. Also, I would like to take the time to thank Blumacaw13 for offering her characters Natalie Scarlet Taylor and Corey Ryann Taylor for use in this story. I must warn you though, if you want your characters to be involved in the heist, I recommend you do so quickly before it all goes down!<p> 


	11. Chapter 11: The Vault Heist

ALERT! OC submissions are now closed! Do not bother sending any more original characters, you'll just be wasting your time. Now let's do something I'm pretty sure everyone's been waiting for!

BEFORE WE BEGIN: Rapture At Sea, WordSpark37 or anyone else associated with the Jesse Awards, this note is directed at you. I do not want any of my stories nominated for these awards, and that includes this one. I will take action against anyone caught trying to nominate this story. Thank you.

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><p>It was early next morning when Reyes arrived at the Military Police building. He'd scanned the sharpshooters posted on the roof, and more armed officers as he walked inside. Zizi was walking beside him, two more prisoners in his sack. An officer opened the door for them, and closed the door after them.<p>

"I called in every cop on our payroll." Zizi explained in Portugese. "We're covered. Weapons teams are stationed at every entrance. God Himself couldn't get at your birds if He wanted to."

"God," Reyes answered, "Isn't my worry."

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><p>The big ARMET Gurkha F5 rolled through an underpass, Sierra at the wheel. Esparanza was inside. Behind them, Weston and Bell kept pace in the extensively modified GMC Sierra 1500 Hybrid, with Doc riding on the back. Two matte black 2009 Dodge Charger SRT-8s were behind the armored vehicles.<p>

"You ready?" Sierra asked.

After a short pause, Esparanza answered, "I'm ready." Sierra steered the Gurkha towards the building, making short work of the barrier. Soon after the Gurkha smashed through the barrier, the marksmen started shooting at the truck, with no effect. They were so surprised to see the Sierra and the two Chargers come past that they did not shoot at the vehicles as they made their way inside the garage. Sierra braced himself as he floored it. The Gurkha smashed straight through the wall, leaving a nice hole and exposing the vault to the garage. Sierra backed the Gurkha up, leaving a nice hole. The GMC stopped out of the way while the two Chargers slid to a stop, their back ends facing the vault.

"Go! Go!" Weston shouted as he and Bell exited the GMC. They pulled out their firearms and started shooting at the first corrupt cops to arrive. Doc up on the truck bed lined up a shot and let loose with the 9M133 Kornet, sending an Anti-Tank missile straight into a row of parked police cars, hurling them up into the air and sending them back down to earth with a thud.

"What was that?" Nicole Taylor asked.

"I dunno." Pedi replied.

"It's them." Blu muttered.

"Who?"

"The people who are coming to save us."

"What?" Jewel exclaimed.

"Yeah." Blu spoke. "You CAN trust some humans." He winked, although no-one would notice in the darkness of the vault.

Sierra climbed out of the Gurkha and opened up on full automatic with his M4A1 Carbine. Esparanza also got out and started shooting with her PT92 pistol. Tom and Ken got out of the Chargers, grabbed winches from the trunks, and attached the tow cables to the vault. While Ken jumped straight back in his Charger, Tom made sure the back bumper cage was doing it's job. They had extensively modified the Charger SRT-8 police cars especially for this job. They had installed beefy tires, a winch in the exposed trunks and back bumper cages welded onto the backs to support heavy weights. Confident that the cage would hold, Tom got back in his Charger.

* * *

><p>In the offices, Reyes noticed the horde of officers rushing to the garage.<p>

"What's going on?" He asked.

"They're taking the vault!" The officer who had held the door exclaimed.

"What?"

"The vault!" The officer pulled out his handgun and motioned for Reyes to follow.

* * *

><p>Back in the garage, Tom and Ken looked at each other. They nodded, and simultaneously floored it. Both Chargers shot forward a few feet before the cables tightened and prevented the Dodges from moving any farther. 425 horsepower was still going through the rear wheels, and the Chargers did a standing burnout, sending up smoke as they tried to free the vault.<p>

"This was the plan?" Ken asked over the radio.

"Yeah." Tom replied.

* * *

><p>"Come on!" The officer shouted as two more cops tried to open the door. They had just opened the fence door and were now trying to open the main door. "Let me through!" The officer managed to get the door open, and rushed through...<p>

Straight into a fist that sent him to the floor.

"Stay down!" The officer looked up when he heard a female voice in Portugese to find Esparanza standing over him, pointing her PT92 straight at him. Sierra was standing by her, looking tough, his hands never moving far from his M4A1. "Don't move!" Esparanza shouted in Portugese again.

* * *

><p>Tom and Ken had been burning out for 15 seconds. The gunfight was still raging, but just as all hope seemed lost, the vault suddenly broke free, and the Chargers began moving, dragging the vault through the hole in the wall. The officers rushing to the garage were shocked to see two Charger SRT-8s shooting past dragging the bank vault behind them. Lights and sirens filled the garage as the first of many police cars started up to chase down the Dodges hauling vault.<p>

The two partners fighting/in crime shot out of the building and executed a hard right turn. The bank vault kept on going straight, mounted the sidewalk and tumbled, snapping the Chargers into a slide just as a marksman with an M16 opened fire. The Chargers continued to slide along the road trying to drag the heavy vault back onto the road. They eventually succeeded, and it was at that moment that the first wave of police cars came in hard and hot, while police shooters filled the road with bullets. They were going to need some backup.

"Call it out Linda!" Ken shouted into his radio.

"Alright, you've got a straight shot for two blocks." Linda reported from the warehouse. "Go right."

"Got it." Tom confirmed. The two drivers steered right, and shifted into park to lock the rear wheels and send the Dodges into a synchronized drift. The vault swung round behind them, and as people on the sidewalk screamed and ran for cover, it impacted a tree before the Chargers pulled it back onto the road. The police cars soon followed and the two Dodge Chargers and the ten or so cops in pursuit passed by a bus, leaving the passengers to wonder why the hell two muscle cars were pulling a bank vault.

"Well, the plan is working." Tulio sat down beside Linda and spoke into his radio. "You guys have every corrupt cop in Rio on your tail, you guys have to move fast."

"What's the best route?" Tom asked.

"OK, keep going straight another half-mile onto Rua Fonseca," Linda replied, "And then go left."

Ahead of the Chargers at an intersection, several police cars screeched to a stop.

"That ain't gonna work." Tom reported. Ahead, the gap between a car and the wall was quickly filled with a spike strip.

"Spikes ahead Tom, we've got spikes!" Ken spoke.

"We're going right!" Two more cops slid to a stop on the road to the right.

"No, it's too tight, we're not going to fit."

"We have no choice, now!" Tom quickly steered right and muscled the Charger SRT-8 through the intersection. Ken quickly followed suit, and both Dodges mounted the sidewalk and shot past the roadblock. The vault kept on going straight, and smashed into the police car next to the spikes, before swinging round and catching the sidewalk, sending it tumbling through whatever was in it's path.

Inside the bank, people noticed the ten ton projectile hurtling towards them and ran for their lives screaming as the vault smashed through the glass into the bank. The weight was enough to send the rear of Ken's car off the ground for a moment before he steered back onto the road. The vault continued to tumble through the bank, sending glass and debris everywhere. Suddenly, the cable attaching Ken's Dodge to the vault tensed up and sent the Charger into a slide. As the vault reached the wall and made it's way out of the bank, it smashed into a row of parked cars before Tom counter steered, rubbing the side of his Dodge against the side of Ken's Dodge, putting both cars back on track.

"Holy crap!" Ken exclaimed.

"Guys, I'm hearing all this chatter." Linda commented. "Did you just take out a bank?"

The two Charger SRT-8s continued down the road, the vault now steadily being dragged along behind them. Two Ford police cars rushed through oncoming traffic to meet them.

"Two inbound." Tom reported.

Tulio typed something into the computer. "OK, there's an alley coming up on your left."

"Yeah, I got it." Ken answered.

All four cars continued on their course, playing team head on chicken. The Charger drivers looked at each other, then nodded. As the Fords came ever closer, Tom spun left, and Ken spun right, and both cars cleared the way for the vault to trundle straight on. The Ford Explorer smashed head on into the vault, before being sandwiched by the Ford Focus following close behind.

Two police motorcycles quickly approached the carnage. Tom, seeing this, shifted into drive and burned rubber. The Charger stopped cold a few feet later and burned out as the vault was too heavy for one Dodge to move unaided. Ken hurled the shifter into reverse and slammed home the accelerator. His Dodge backed up into the vault, and with Tom pulling and Ken pushing, the Chargers began to move the vault into the alley. The motorcycles followed, and as the riders pulled something out of their jackets, Ken recognized them as Taurus PT92 handguns. The riders opened fire, sending some shots wide, some shots into the vault (The 9mm rounds couldn't penetrate the vault however), and a couple of shots into Ken's windshield. Ken quickly slammed on the brakes, causing one rider to crash and back-flip into a parked car, and the other rider to slide, lose control and fall off the bike.

"You little baka!" Ken yelled before he sent the Charger going again in a wall of tire smoke and Hemi engine roar. The Dodge Chargers shot out of the alley, turned left and settled back onto the road. Ken steered to the right, reversed past the vault, and spun around to be facing the same way as Tom again. Re-assuming the position, Ken spoke, "Alright, good job Tom, right hander right here, right hander." The Chargers turned right onto a wide boulevard split in half by a bus stop.

"Guys." Tulio warned. "You have a big group coming from the south, you have to do something now!" Tom looked back to see the first of many police cars sliding onto the road that they were on. Ken noticed this too.

"Tom." Ken advised. "Go wide." Tom agreed, and Ken swerved onto the other side of the road, while Tom steered farther left. The vault was in the middle, and plowed through the bus shelter. The next thing it ran into was a big light pole, and it toppled onto a Chevrolet Blazer SUV. Another light pole was torn down, and a Ford Explorer tried to slide to a stop, only to impact the pole and roll like a barrel. A Ford Focus tried evasive maneuvers, but crashed into a parked vehicle. Other police cars screeched to a halt before hitting the chaos that was in front of them. The two matte black Chargers continued on their course.

"Yeah!" Tom celebrated as the vault continued to move behind the Charger SRT-8s. More police cars arrived on scene, and Tulio and Linda were busy tracking incoming arrivals. There were about ten police cars behind the two Dodges.

One Charger police car drew up alongside the vault. An officer climbed out and sat on the door. He pumped a Mossberg shotgun and fired, sending out buckshot that missed the Dodges. He fired again, also missing. Ken noticed this and swerved, slapping away the Charger police car and sending it onto a sidewalk. The driver blipped the siren while the officer yelled for pedestrians to get out of the way. While the black Dodges slapped another police car into a tree, he pulled out his Taurus PT92 handgun and shot off an entire magazine at the Charger SRT-8s, again missing them. Ken swerved again, this time sending the vault into a row of parked cars that got scattered all over the sidewalk, creating a roadblock that stopped the cop car in it's tracks. However, there were many more police cars still behind the two Chargers. As another Charger drew alongside and the passenger pumped his shotgun, the police car was suddenly rammed from behind...

By another police car.

Anthony steered his 2011 Dodge Charger R/T police car around the spinning 2006 Dodge Charger R/T police car that he had rammed and lined up his car so that it was in front of another cop. He then slammed on the brakes, causing the cop to smash into the rear end of his car. The cop then spun out and was unable to continue the pursuit due to engine damage.

"You're all clear on the left." Anthony reported.

"Good afternoon officer!" Fernando shouted before sideswiping a Charger cop car. "License and registration please!" He rammed into a Ford Explorer police car, which rammed into a row of parked vans, sending the Explorer/van fusion onto the road, where a Mazda 626 slammed into the Ford. "Yes! This is big boy stuff!" He picked up the radio. "You're clear on the right."

"Oh man." Was all Ken had to say. The four Chargers continued rolling along in formation.

"Thanks guys." Tom said into his radio.

"Any time." Anthony replied.

"I'll see you on the other side." Fernando added.

"You guys just carved out a ten second window." Linda spoke from the warehouse. "Make it count." The police Dodge Charger R/Ts broke away from the formation, while a quarter mile back, more police cars were rushing past the devastation caused by Hurricane Vault.

"Zizi." Reyes said from the back of the Volkswagen Touareg SUV. "Stay on them." Zizi steered the VW out from a side street, and joined henchmen and the police in the pursuit. The Chargers meanwhile rumbled past a garbage truck. They headed out onto a bridge that ran over a wide river. The police went past the garbage truck about ten seconds later.

"They can't outrun us on the bridge." Reyes remarked as the Touareg went onto the wide bridge.

Ken looked in the mirror. "Crap." He commented. There were fifteen police and henchman cars in pursuit.

Reyes chuckled. "They have no way out."

"No!" Ken shouted. He grabbed the radio while keeping an eye on the ridiculous amount of cars in pursuit. "There's too many of them." He rammed the push-to-talk button home. "Hey, Tom, there's too many of them, we're not gonna make it!"

Tom looked back, and sure enough, the police were edging ever closer. "You're right, we aren't." He replied through the radio. Ken looked over to his Charger. "You are."

"What are you talking about?" Ken questioned.

"Just let the vault go, get out of there!" Linda urgently pleaded.

"You're one of the best drivers I've met, Ken, and a great buddy too." Tom commented.

"No, I'm not leaving you!" Ken yelled. "Now you stick with the plan!"

"It was always the plan." Tom monotonously said. "Take care of Miyuki and Natsumi."

"Tom, you listen to me now, OK?" Linda spoke. "You cut loose right now!"

Tom held a device in his hand. He pressed a button, and one of the tow cables snapped. Ken's Charger, now free of the vault's weight, sped away. Tom spun the Dodge away 180 degrees. Ken yelled and hit the steering wheel in frustration. Tom now faced the approaching horde, alone.

"Hey, what is he doing?" Reyes asked. Tom was facing them, doing a burnout, and revving up his Dodge. "We've got him!" Big mistake.

Tom shifted into drive and pulled away for a little bit, before the weight of the bank vault stopped his advance. The Charger SRT-8 was powerful, but even it was not powerful enough to move a bank vault by itself. That's where the modifications came in. Tom reached down and flipped a switch. Next to it were three big nitrous bottles. Tom called one bottle into action with a press of a button. The nitrous injected into the Hemi engine, increasing it's power and enabling the big Dodge to begin motion. The Charger and the vault were now moving again.

"Close down the bridge!" Zizi called into his radio as Reyes stared at the Charger.

Tom pressed another button, injecting more nitrous into his Dodge's motor. There was now so much power going through the Charger SRT-8 that it pulled a wheelie, lifting the front tires off the ground. Once the front tires came back down onto the ground, Tom started his assault. He momentarily played head on chicken with a Focus, before swerving all over the road. The vault swerved with him, and the Focus tried steering out of the way, going this way, then that, only to crash head on into the vault. Another swerve sent a Blazer and a Mazda sandwiching into the vault.

Tom's Charger was like a samurai sword, moving across the road with mighty precision, and eliminating all who happened to get in the way. Fortunately, the bridge was closed off, so only police and henchman cars were lining up to get smashed. Tom steered the bank vault into a Jetta, smashing it out of commission.

"Do something, idiot!" Reyes screamed.

With another mighty swerve, Tom made a henchman's Ram 1500 and a police Ford Focus plow into the vault, sending them over the edge, and into the river below.

"Kill him dammit!"

Tom steered across the road, causing an Explorer to smash into the vault. A VW Passat drove between the Charger and the vault, and got it's top chopped off by the cable.

"Kill him now!" Zizi spoke into his radio. A bit of the roof of the other Touareg opened up to reveal a minigun. The operator took aim.

Tom scraped the vault on the side of the bridge. A Jetta had nowhere to go, plowed into the vault, and launched into the air and into the bay spectacularly. The operator manning the minigun opened fire, sending shots in the general direction of the Charger. Tom began evasive maneuvers as shots impacted the road.

With one last button press, he injected every bit of nitrous into the engine. He then engaged the handbrake, and spun around. Minigun shots impacted the Charger as it continued sliding. The vault crossed over to the other side of the bridge, tumbled end over end and swung back around due to still being attached to the Dodge. Zizi slammed on the brakes and stopped just as the vault flew over the hood of the Touareg. The other driver wasn't so lucky, and the vault smashed into the Volkswagen, pushing it through the wall and into the river. As the vault stopped, the cable tensed up, swinging the Charger into the air, and straight for whatever was in it's flightpath.

The Dodge Charger SRT-8 span in the air, and headed straight for the Volkswagen Touareg. Zizi dived for cover, but all Reyes could do was scream a split second before the Charger plowed hood first into the cockpit of the Touareg.

There was not a sound from either vehicle.

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><p>Please comment on this chapter, and accept my thanks for waiting for this update. This is easily the longest chapter I have written, and also perhaps the most epic. This chapter was worth it, was it not?<p> 


	12. Chapter 12: Full Circle

Almost at the end! Let's see if I can raise my motivation enough to get this story finished.

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><p>Tom groaned and got up off the floor. He had jumped out of the Charger just before it was swung into the air. Standing straight, he saw the Charger resting on the Touareg. The rear wheels were on the ground, while the front was still on the hood and cabin. All of a sudden, he saw Zizi stumble out of the Volkswagen, rage in his eyes and a Taurus pistol in his hands. Tom pulled out his M1911 handgun, and both men pointed their guns at each other. It was a standoff to see who would run out of patience and fire first. Suddenly, four shots rang out.<p>

But Tom hadn't fired once.

Ken stood by his Charger, his QZB-92 pistol pointed where Zizi once stood. After a couple of seconds, he walked around to Tom's side.

"I thought I'd told you to go on." Tom said.

"You said something, long ago." Ken replied. "No one gets left behind. Besides, I had to make a call." Both men looked past the wreckage to see the Gurkha, the Sierra, the two police cars and the garbage truck pull up. Sierra was the first person to get out, followed by the rest of Azure Ops, Esparanza and the rest of the crew, minus Linda and the birds, who were on the garbage truck.

Reyes fell out of the Touareg and lay in a heap on the floor. "Help me..." He weakly begged. His eyes traveled up to see Sierra walking past. Sierra pumped two shots from a .44 revolver into him without even looking.

"That's for Esparanza's team you son of a smuggler." Sierra declared, while keeping his eyes on Tom and Ken. "Hell of a mess." He commented when he had reached the pair. Everyone looked past the parked Dodge to see the half-mile stretch of road and completely wrecked vehicles.

"Yeah." Tulio added. "No way the birds are going to be alive after that."

Tom simply chuckled softly. "See you guys back at the warehouse." Tom got in the passenger seat, while Ken slipped behind the wheel. The Charger soon fired up, and both men swiftly departed. Sierra looked at Esparanza, then at the bank vault, which was still in the position it had assumed when it knocked the other SUV off the bridge. Sierra walked over to the vault, and tried to open it. It moved without a protest. He swung the door wide open and stared at what was inside.

Nothing. The vault was empty.

Sierra looked at the empty space, at the crew, then at the garbage truck. It all clicked into place.

_"Thanks guys." Tom said into his radio._

_"Any time." Anthony replied._

_"I'll see you on the other side." Fernando added._

_"You guys just carved out a ten second window." Linda spoke from the warehouse. "Make it count." The police Dodge Charger R/Ts broke away from the formation, while a quarter mile back, more police cars were rushing past the devastation caused by Hurricane Vault._

_The Chargers approached a garbage truck, and one Charger drove past on either side. The bank vault went up the middle, where George and Doc cut the ropes. The Dodges drove around to the front, where the truck was pushing a covered object. The cover flew away to reveal another bank vault. Tulio and Bell reconnected the Chargers to the vault, and as Tom and Ken drove away, Weston gave a parting horn honk from the driver's seat._

Sierra played this back in his head. He broke out in laughter as he turned to focus on the Dodge Charger SRT-8 now driving off into the distance.

"I knew you wouldn't go down without a fight!" Sierra shouted in between bursts of laughter. He turned to his team, his face turning serious and all traces of laughter disappeared. "Now who's smart idea was it to cover this up from me?"

* * *

><p>Back at the warehouse, Fernando silently prayed, then pressed the handprint to the reader. The vault unlocked, and Anthony helped Fernando open the door. The birds were inside, and after a moment to adjust to the new light and surroundings, they started to pile out of the vault. Linda and Blu had a happy reunion, Tulio checked Jewel, which didn't surprise Tom, Rafael, Nico and Pedro celebrated their release by the only way they knew how, and Azure high-fived each other.<p>

Nigel wandered around for a little bit, before a sound shifted his attention. It was the sound of a gun cocking, and his eyes focused on Tom standing to his left, pointing his M4 Carbine at him. He looked vulnerably at his nemesis, and braced for the end. If he knew Tom, he would simply put a 5.56 straight through the head with special-ops precision. If he wanted to toy with him, perhaps the bullet would go somewhere else first. Instead, what happened next would stay with him forever.

"Go." Tom said. He pointed the M4A1 a little to the left and waved him away. "Go Nigel. Go." Nigel did not hesitate to fly off into the distance.

Tulio walked over. "I don't understand..." He sighed. "What did you do?"

"To be honest..." Tom replied. "I'm not even sure myself."

* * *

><p>Inside the warehouse, it was all a big celebration. Tom knew that as he walked over, he was the one who made it all possible. No, helped. No one thanked him, but he didn't mind. That was the way he liked it.<p>

There was no need to thank him. He was just doing his job.

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><p>Now you may think that that's all over, but the original story had some credits. I'm going to put them in as well, and hurl in a little after credits scene. Stay tuned!<p> 


	13. Chapter 13: The Heist Coda

Rio: The Heist

Directed by: Firehound427

Written by: Firehound427

Starring:

Tom Fortnell

Linda Gunderson

Tulio Montero

Saito Kenji Hayato

Fernando Mata-Alan

Anthony Brown

George Kong

Dennis Sierra

Weston

Bell

Doc

Esparanza Salvia

Diego Lima

Seth

Margaret

Stefano Alonso

Blu

Jewel

Pedro

Nico

Rafael

Nigel

Alice

Chloe

Natalie Scarlet Taylor

Corey Ryann Taylor

Nicole

Pedi

Ricardo Zizi

And Hernan Reyes

The director would like to thank:

Dodge Automobiles: For lending many of the vehicles used in the production and technical support.

The Policia Do Rio De Janeiro: For their co-operation and lending of officers and pursuit vehicles.

The Blu Bird Sanctuary: For their co-operation, advice on bird behaviour, the use of their birds and staff and their friendly attitude.

Master Derek: For allowing the director to star Fernando Mata-Alan and Anthony Brown in this production.

Rapture At Sea: For allowing the director to star Margaret and Seth in this production.

Sierra Strike: For allowing the director to star Dennis Sierra, Doc, Weston and Bell in this production.

Chickweed001: For allowing the director to star Stefano Alonso and Saito Kenji Hayato in this production.

UniVersals: For allowing the director to star George Kong in this production.

Blu in disguise: For allowing the director to star Natalie Scarlet Taylor, Nicole, Pedi and Corey Ryann Taylor in this production.

Rapture At Sea, UniVersals, Chickweed001, Master Derek, BluJet The Macaw Hawk and Blu in disguise: For reviewing and motivating the director to continue.

Fanfiction .Net: For allowing the director to share his imagination.

And you: For reading this fanfic.

THE END

This has been a Blue Sky Studios production, distributed by 20th Century Fox. We hope you have enjoyed.

* * *

><p>AFTER CREDITS SCENE<p>

Tom walked in through the door. It was early next morning, and no one was up. He clutched the brown envelope, knowing that what was inside would stay with him for years to come. But he still pressed on. He reached the reception desk, and put the envelope down on the desk. He then turned around and walked out the door. On the driveway, where his 1970 Dodge Charger R/T was parked, he turned around just before getting into the muscle car. He took one hard look at the sanctuary, before getting in the Dodge, firing it up, and easing it away from the sanctuary. As he drove along, he thought back to the envelope, and ran a scenario in his head. Tulio or Linda would arrive at the reception desk ready for work, they would find the envelope and they would wonder what was inside. They would study the envelope, and then they would open it up to read the letter inside. Tom had wrote that letter. They would reach the end, and they would come to the realisation that what they were holding in their hands wasn't just any old letter.

It was his resignation notice.


End file.
